This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.393 - Cancer Cause and Prevention Research) provides $426,425 to Baylor College of Medicine to conduct a pilot study examining the relationship between gut microbiome composition, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
The key objectives of this 2-year study are to: 1) characterize baseline gut microbiome diversity associated with MASLD with and without HCC, 2) correlate changes in gut microbiota with immunotherapy response and adverse events in HCC patients with and without MASLD, and 3) evaluate how genes and proteins related to MASLD-HCC susceptibility and prognosis may alter gut microbiome composition and impact immunotherapy outcomes. The study will leverage research infrastructure at Baylor College of Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center, including sub-award funding of $40,244 to MD Anderson to support analyses related to MAFLD and MASH.
The findings from this pilot study are expected to provide insights into the role of gut microbiome in MASLD-related HCC that could inform prognostic strategies and personalized immunotherapy approaches for these patients.