The UT Southwestern Liver Cancer SPORE assembles a multidisciplinary team of clinical, basic, and translational scientists to develop new strategies for screening, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of liver cancer by clinically translating innovative breakthroughs discovered at our institution to substantially reduce liver cancer mortality in Texas and the U.S.
What is a SPORE?
A Liver Cancer Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) award signifies national recognition of UTSW's leadership in liver cancer research. It brings together experts across disciplines to drive innovative, patient-focused advances – ultimately aiming to improve survival and quality of life for people facing liver cancer.
By the Numbers
1 of 2
Kidney Cancer SPORE Awards in the nation
2.5x
Stage 4 survival rates more than double the national average
120+
Physicians and Researchers
Projects
A phase two clinical trial to test a 24-week, low-dose epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, erlotinib, for safety and efficacy in reducing HCC risk in high-risk patients with cirrhosis. Phase two will explore clinical and molecular variables that affect erlotinib response to guide subsequent phase three clinical trial design.
Based on the discovery that hepatocyte polyploidy prevents HCC development in cirrhosis, the SPORE team will perform a phase 1a adjuvant clinical trial in patients with HCC undergoing locoregional therapy to assess an alternative chemoprevention strategy to therapeutically induce polyploidy using a hepatocyte-targeted siRNA for a cytokinesis regulator, anillin.
Leveraging the SPORE’s basic science discovery that 6-thio-dG shows anti-tumor effect by inducing anti tumor immunity in telomerase-active cancer, including HCC, the team will test the agent in combination with cemiplimab (anti-PD1) as neoadjuvant therapy in a phase 1b clinical trial for patients with early-stage HCC undergoing surgical resection.
Cores
Professional Development Programs
The Career Enhancement Program (CEP) provides seed funding to support and foster careers of early-stage scientists interested in translational liver cancer research and to facilitate more established investigators refocusing their research toward this area. The CEP serves as a pipeline to increase the number of UTSW investigators who translate innovative basic science breakthroughs and technologies to the care of liver cancer patients.
The Developmental Research Program (DRP) provides seed funding for promising translational projects that could significantly impact liver cancer outcomes. The DRP will fund pilot and/or high-risk/high-impact projects using innovative approaches, with the potential to generate groundbreaking discoveries and including a focus on translation. The DRP serves as a pipeline to translate rich and various in-house basic science discoveries and innovative technologies to the care of liver cancer patients, and supports the Liver Cancer SPORE to make sustainable translational impact toward the goal of reducing liver cancer mortality in Texas and the U.S.