Molecular and cellular pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: Insights from human studies

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/253766

Funding Status
Closed

Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the .

Funded Activity Summary

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the commonest cause for liver disease in Australia. On liver biopsy it is characterised by changes similar to that induced by alcohol, but occurs in individuals who consume minimal amounts of alcohol. The risk factors for the development of NASH include obesity, type II diabetes and hyperlipidemia. As the prevalence of obesity and diabetes are rapidly increasing in Australia, it is evident that NASH will become of major public health concern in the future. In those that develop liver disease from NASH, a proportion (10-30%) will develop advanced liver scarring leading to significant morbidity and mortality. The overall aim of this proposal is therefore to provide insight into why some people with fatty liver disorders develop NASH and to determine the basis for disease progression in this condition. Over the last decade, work at the Storr Liver Unit in a nutritional animal model of NASH has suggested potential mechanisms for disease progression in NASH. This proposal seeks to determine whether such mechanisms operate in human NASH by conducting studies in a large cohort of well chracterised patients with this disorder. Advances in molecular and cellular biology now permit such studies by anaylsis of small quantities of tissue such as that obtained at the time of liver biopsy. In this proposal we will examine both serum and liver tissue to characterise the role of oxidative stress (the biologic equivalent of rusting), the host immune response, liver cell injury and damage to the metabolic machinery within cells as determinants of diease severity in NASH. It is anticipated that these studies will provide the most comprehensive data to date on the pathogenesis of NASH and should suggest potential therapeutic targets for treating this condition.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2003

End Date: 01-01-2004

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $215,500.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Chronic liver disease | Chronic liver injury | Gastroenterology | Hepatitis | Hepatocellular injury | Hepatocytes | Liver | Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Related Links