UAB General Surgery resident Tejeshwar Jain, M.D., received the 2025 Residents Research Award from the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract for his project named “Evaluating a novel TLR4-based strategy for improving immunotherapy response in hepatocellular carcinoma.”

In a study investigating the link between Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and hepatocellular carcinoma, Jain and Vikas Dudeja, M.D., the director of the Division of Surgical Oncology, are investigating the critical role of the TLR4 in relation to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a common and aggressive form of liver cancer.

Their research aims to understand how activation of the TLR4 receptor can potentially enhance the body’s immune response to liver cancer cells. The project centers on evaluating various compounds capable of stimulating the TLR4 receptor.

Jain and Dudeja are particularly interested in determining whether these compounds can improve the effectiveness of existing immunotherapy treatments for HCC that could lead to more effective treatments for patients suffering from liver cancer.

As recognition for his project, Jain will receive a one-year grant of $25,000 to support his research endeavors. This funding will help facilitate further investigation into the therapeutic potentials of TLR4 in the context of hepatocellular carcinoma.