Vaccine to block liver fluke–linked bile duct cancer
Official title: Anti-cancer vaccine targeting the host-parasite interface during fluke infection
Funded at George Washington University · NIH-11416186 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A vaccine designed to stop liver fluke infections that greatly raise the risk of bile duct cancer in people living in affected regions like Northeast Thailand.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | George Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project start | September 21, 2012 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $139,050 |
| NIH project number | 3R01CA164719-12S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11416186 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people living in or from areas where Opisthorchis viverrini is common, especially those with known exposure to liver flukes or at high risk of infection.
✕Less likely to help
People whose bile duct cancer is unrelated to liver fluke infection, or those with very advanced disease, are unlikely to benefit from this preventive vaccine.
What this research studies
Researchers are developing a multivalent vaccine that targets proteins and extracellular vesicles the liver fluke releases to survive and manipulate the bile duct environment. The team will identify which parasite-secreted molecules are most important for host-parasite communication and prioritize those as vaccine antigens. Laboratory and preclinical tests will measure immune responses to those antigens and whether they reduce fluke survival or fluke-driven tissue changes. Promising candidates would then be moved toward clinical testing in populations where the parasite is common.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this vaccine could prevent liver fluke infection and substantially lower bile duct cancer rates in endemic communities.
How similar studies have gone: Vaccines against parasitic worms are challenging and while related antigen-based approaches have shown promise in animal models, they have not yet been proven to prevent fluke-driven bile duct cancer in humans.
Where this research is happening
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George Washington University
Washington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brindley, Paul J — George Washington University
- Study coordinator: Brindley, Paul J
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.