Condition

NAFLD clinical trials and research

• 30Clinical trials
• 89NIH research projects
• 20Countries

Newest NAFLD clinical trials

All recruiting trials (30)

• Low‑methoxy pectin for inflammation, gut microbiome, and metabolic health in MASLD

  This tests whether taking daily low‑methoxy pectin for six weeks can reduce inflammation and improve gut bacteria and metabolic markers in adults with MASLD.

  Recruiting at 3 sites University of Nottingham · Nottingham, United Kingdom and 2 other locations · NCT07093346

• Prospective NAFLD/NASH patient cohort and biobank

  This project will collect medical data and blood/tissue samples from adults with NAFLD/NASH to create a long-term resource to help researchers understand disease course and causes.

  Recruiting Fondazione Epatocentro Ticino · Lugano, Canton Ticino · NCT07051863

• Digital prevention for liver disease management

  This study is testing a new way to help people with liver disease by using a mobile app for patients and a dashboard for doctors to see if it improves their care and health outcomes.

  Recruiting Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS · Rome, Lazio · NCT06879236

• Using liver organoids to study non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

  This study is trying to create mini-livers in the lab to see how different factors and genes affect the early stages of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in order to find new ways to track liver damage.

  Recruiting Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico · Milan, Milano · NCT06856252

• Examining Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

  This study looks at how common Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is in people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease to see how gut health might affect liver health.

  Recruiting Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Saint Pierre · Brussels · NCT06814600

• Improving care for Veterans with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

  This study tests a new way to help Veterans with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by using a structured plan to improve diagnosis and treatment compared to regular care.

  Recruiting VA Office of Research and Development · Houston, Texas · NCT06671886

• Ultraportable Hepatoscope ultrasound for measuring liver fat in MASLD/MASH

  The Hepatoscope device will be tested to see if it can measure liver fat accurately in adults with MASLD/MASH compared with MRI-PDFF.

  Recruiting at 2 sites E-Scopics · Angers and 2 other locations · NCT06661655

• Evaluating Nicotinamide for Liver Fibrosis in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

  This study is testing if a supplement called nicotinamide can help people with type 2 diabetes and liver scarring feel better and improve their liver health.

  Recruiting Phase 2 Fundació Institut de Recerca de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau · Barcelona · NCT06599918

• Digoxin for NASH with stage 2–3 fibrosis

  This trial will see if taking once-daily digoxin helps clear NASH and reduce liver scarring in adults with biopsy-confirmed NASH and stage 2–3 fibrosis.

  Recruiting at 2 sites Phase 2 Yale University · New Haven, Connecticut and 1 other locations · NCT06588699

• A project to understand fatty liver disease and its complications

  This study is trying to understand how genetics and lifestyle affect fatty liver disease in people at high risk, by looking at their liver health and heart risks through various tests.

  Recruiting Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico · Milan, Milano · NCT06566105

• Understanding how common fatty liver disease is in patients with Type 1 Diabetes

  This study is trying to find out how many people with Type 1 Diabetes also have Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by using a special scan to check their liver health.

  Recruiting Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg · Genk, Limburg · NCT06445361

• Characterizing blood cells and factors in metabolic diseases

  This study looks at the differences in blood cells and other factors in people with metabolic diseases like diabetes and obesity compared to healthy individuals to better understand these conditions.

  Recruiting Technische Universität Dresden · Dresden, Saxony · NCT06396871

• Investigating heart problems in patients with fatty liver disease

  This study looks at how fatty liver disease might affect heart health in adults aged 18-65 by checking for heart problems like coronary artery disease and heart failure.

  Recruiting Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh · Chandigarh, Chandigarh · NCT06386094

• Very low-calorie ketogenic diet for patients with liver disease

  This study is testing whether a very low-calorie ketogenic diet can improve liver health and help with weight management in people with liver disease compared to a standard low-calorie Mediterranean diet.

  Recruiting University of Bologna · Bologna · NCT06308757

• Comparing exercise programs and diet for obese individuals with liver disease

  This study is testing whether combining exercise programs with a special diet can help obese people with liver disease feel better and reduce inflammation compared to just following the diet alone.

  Recruiting Azienda Ospedaliera Specializzata in Gastroenterologia Saverio de Bellis · Castellana Grotte, Bari · NCT06186869

• Comparing vigorous and moderate exercise to reduce liver fat in obese adults with NAFLD

  This study is testing whether vigorous exercise can reduce liver fat just as well as moderate exercise in obese adults with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

  Recruiting The University of Hong Kong · Hong Kong · NCT06124456

• Investigating how androgens affect liver health in young women

  This study is trying to see how hormones called androgens affect liver health in young women, especially those with polycystic ovary syndrome, by comparing liver disease progression between women with and without this condition.

  Recruiting University of California, San Francisco · San Francisco, California and 1 other locations · NCT06124261

• Impact of CoQ10 on patients with fatty liver disease

  This study is testing if taking high doses of CoQ10 can help people with fatty liver disease feel better by reducing inflammation and improving their health markers.

  Recruiting Phase 2 Ain Shams University · Cairo · NCT05984745

• Bicalutamide treatment for young women with liver disease and PCOS

  This study is testing if a medication called bicalutamide can help young women with liver disease and PCOS feel better and improve their liver health.

  Recruiting Phase 1 University of California, San Francisco · San Francisco, California · NCT05979389

• Preoperative Ketogenic Diet to Reduce Fat in the Liver Before Surgery

  This study tests whether a short, very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet before liver surgery can reduce liver fat and improve surgical outcomes for patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer and NAFLD.

  Recruiting Western University, Canada · London, Ontario · NCT05884723

• Liver fat in people born with low birth weight

  A 4-week low-calorie diet to see if cutting calories lowers liver fat in middle-aged adults born with low birth weight who have NAFLD.

  Recruiting at 2 sites Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen · Aarhus and 1 other locations · NCT05842850

• Lifestyle changes to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

  This study tests whether personalized lifestyle counseling can help people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease improve their liver health better than standard care.

  Recruiting General University Hospital, Prague · Prague · NCT05816915

• Analyzing multi-omics data for personalized treatment of fatty liver disease linked to obesity

  This study is trying to see if using advanced data analysis can help create personalized treatments for people with fatty liver disease caused by obesity.

  Recruiting Institut Investigacio Sanitaria Pere Virgili · Reus, Tarragona · NCT05554224

• Using semaglutide to prevent weight gain after liver transplant

  This study is testing if the medication semaglutide can help people who have had a liver transplant avoid gaining weight and developing liver problems.

  Recruiting Phase 2 University of Virginia · Richmond, Virginia · NCT05424003

• Comparing two non-invasive strategies to diagnose advanced liver fibrosis in NAFLD

  This tests whether two non‑invasive algorithms using routine blood tests, with or without FibroScan, can best detect advanced liver fibrosis in adults with NAFLD.

  Recruiting at 5 sites University Hospital, Angers · Angers and 19 other locations · NCT04681573

• Understanding the causes of fatty liver disease in obese youth

  This study is trying to understand why some obese teenagers, especially Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black youth, are more likely to develop fatty liver disease by looking at how their bodies process carbohydrates.

  Recruiting Yale University · New Haven, Connecticut · NCT04634643

• A registry for studying Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Europe

  This study is collecting health information and samples from people with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease to learn more about the disease and find better ways to track its progress.

  Recruiting at 33 sites Newcastle University · Antwerp and 36 other locations · NCT04442334

• Effectiveness of bariatric surgery for patients with liver disease

  This study is testing how well different types of weight loss surgery can help obese people with liver disease feel better and improve their liver health.

  Recruiting Beijing Friendship Hospital · Beijing, Beijing Municipality · NCT04366999

• Understanding liver damage and heart health in patients with NAFLD

  This study looks at how liver damage affects heart health in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to see what factors might predict worsening liver problems.

  Recruiting University of Roma La Sapienza · Rome · NCT04036357

• Weight loss to improve insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant individuals

  This study is testing if losing a little weight can help lean people who are insulin-resistant and have a family history of type 2 diabetes improve how their bodies handle sugar and fat.

  Recruiting Yale University · New Haven, Connecticut and 1 other locations · NCT02193295

NIH-funded research (newest 40 of 89)

Early-stage science funded by the US National Institutes of Health. Most of these projects don't enroll patients, but they show what is being worked on.

• Lipid signals that control acetyl-CoA and fat metabolism in NAFLD

  A study exploring how membrane lipids influence acetyl-CoA metabolism to understand and potentially treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

  NIH research Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · Los Angeles, United States · NIH-11591466

• Long-term study of NAFLD progression and gut bacteria in diverse groups

  We’re following people over time to see how the gut microbiome and diet relate to fatty liver disease progression in diverse racial/ethnic groups.

  NIH research University of Hawaii at Manoa · Honolulu, United States · NIH-11453729

• Genetic and environmental risk for fatty liver cancer in Latinos (GENIAL)

  A study to understand why Latino people with fatty liver disease might be more likely to develop liver cancer and to use genetic and environmental clues to predict who is at higher risk.

  NIH research University of Miami School of Medicine · Coral Gables, United States · NIH-11421825

• Toxic fats, vitamin B12 loss, and AHR may drive fatty liver disease

  This grant looks at how certain environmental chemicals may trigger liver damage linked to fatty liver disease and how a vitamin found in the blood could be affected.

  NIH research Michigan State University · East Lansing, United States · NIH-11398883

• Role of cholesterol metabolism in toxin-driven liver disease

  This grant explores how a liver toxin called TCDD affects cholesterol and fatty liver disease, and how a key enzyme (HMGCR) might change that risk in adults.

  NIH research Michigan State University · East Lansing, United States · NIH-11394781

• Small blood particle signals and fatty liver in children and teens

  Researchers are looking at whether molecules carried in tiny blood particles can explain or signal fatty liver disease in children and adolescents with excess weight.

  NIH research Translational Genomics Research Inst · Phoenix, United States · NIH-11380653

• Hepatic insulin resistance linking type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease

  This project looks at how insulin resistance in the liver connects type 2 diabetes with fatty liver disease and its progression to a harmful liver condition in a mouse model and human data.

  NIH research Boston Children's Hospital · Boston, United States · NIH-11377705

• Impaired VLDL Secretion and NAFLD/NASH Progression in Mice and Humans

  A study to understand why impaired VLDL secretion helps drive fatty liver disease and liver cancer, with a focus on people and mouse models who have NAFLD/NASH.

  NIH research Washington University · Saint Louis, United States · NIH-11369595

• Patient-derived stem cell models for fatty liver (NAFLD)

  Researchers will use stem cells made from people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to find genes and cellular changes linked to the condition.

  NIH research University of California, San Francisco · San Francisco, United States · NIH-11369249

• Long-term gut microbiome and NAFLD progression in diverse adults

  A long-term study will follow 300 adults from diverse racial groups to see how their gut bacteria relate to the progression of fatty liver disease over about a decade.

  NIH research University of Hawaii at Manoa · Honolulu, United States · NIH-11368485

• YAP signaling and liver fibrosis in people with HIV

  This project aims to understand how a cellular pathway called YAP drives liver disease in people living with HIV who have fatty liver and fibrosis.

  NIH research Massachusetts General Hospital · Boston, United States · NIH-11365056

• Impact of fatty liver disease on brain function in people with HIV

  A study in people living with HIV will look at how having fatty liver disease may be linked to brain health and memory, using advanced brain imaging.

  NIH research University of Rochester · Rochester, United States · NIH-11364168

• Understanding Liver Disease Progression and Gut Health in Diverse Communities

  This research looks at how changes in gut bacteria might be connected to the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) over time in Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and White individuals.

  NIH research University of Hawaii at Manoa · Honolulu, United States · NIH-11361186

• How the liver protein Ube4A helps prevent fatty liver disease

  Researchers will look at how a liver protein called Ube4A helps liver cells survive stress in people with obesity-related fatty liver disease.

  NIH research University of Florida · Gainesville, United States · NIH-11348721

• NAFLD in PCOS: Do androgens drive liver injury and fatty liver progression?

  Young women with PCOS may face liver disease progression due to high androgen levels, and this research looks at targeted ways to slow or prevent that progression.

  NIH research University of California, San Francisco · San Francisco, United States · NIH-11345167

• How the liver protein STC2 and a natural cell sensor may protect against fatty liver

  Looks at whether a naturally made chemical that turns on a cell sensor and the liver protein stanniocalcin 2 can protect people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease from fat buildup and damage.

  NIH research Texas A&m Agrilife Research · College Station, UNITED STATES · NIH-11337454

• Genomic imprinting and liver disease risk across ages

  A study at Duke University looks at how early-life gene markings may influence the risk of developing metabolic liver disease later in life.

  NIH research Duke University · Durham, United States · NIH-11332755

• 3D Circadian Interactions Driving NAFLD-Linked Liver Cancer

  A cancer research grant explores how daily body clocks influence liver cancer that can develop from fatty liver disease, with the goal of finding times or targets to improve prevention or treatment.

  NIH research Baylor College of Medicine · Houston, United States · NIH-11330307

• How a liver protein (HDAC1) senses nutrients and affects fatty liver disease

  This project looks at whether a liver protein called HDAC1 senses nutrients and helps drive fatty liver disease in people with obesity or type 2 diabetes.

  NIH research Georgia State University · Atlanta, United States · NIH-11326781

• AI-enhanced MRI for detecting and classifying fatty liver disease

  This project uses faster, motion-robust MRI together with artificial intelligence to improve detection and classification of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) for patients who need liver evaluation.

  NIH research University of California Los Angeles · Los Angeles, United States · NIH-11325723

• Investigating how a specific receptor helps protect the liver from fat buildup

  This study is looking at how a natural compound called cinnabarinic acid can help protect the liver from fat buildup in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by activating a specific receptor, which could lead to new treatments for better liver health.

  NIH research Texas A&m Agrilife Research · College Station, UNITED STATES · NIH-11325117

• Improving liver mitochondria in people with fatty liver using insulin-sensitizing medicines

  Doctors will try insulin-sensitizing medicines to boost liver cell energy and reduce liver fat in adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

  NIH research University of Texas Hlth Science Center · San Antonio, United States · NIH-11323087

• NAFLD care pathway for Veterans in VA primary care

  This project will introduce a step-by-step screening and follow-up plan in VA primary care to find and manage non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Veterans.

  NIH research Michael E Debakey VA Medical Center · Houston, United States · NIH-11310734

• PQQ to prevent fatty liver in children of mothers with obesity

  Researchers are seeing whether giving the antioxidant PQQ around pregnancy can lower the chance that children born to mothers with obesity develop early fatty liver.

  NIH research University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr · Oklahoma City, United States · NIH-11296937

• How a liver protein (PPARγ) may drive fatty liver disease

  This project looks at whether a liver protein called PPARγ causes or worsens fatty liver disease in adults with type 2 diabetes to find better treatment targets.

  NIH research University of Illinois at Chicago · Chicago, UNITED STATES · NIH-11290380

• Fat-tissue inflammation pathway linking obesity to fatty liver (NAFLD)

  This work looks at whether blocking a specific inflammation signal in fat tissue can help prevent or reduce fatty liver in people with obesity.

  NIH research Ut Southwestern Medical Center · Dallas, United States · NIH-11290336

• Targeting the mitochondrial magnesium channel Mrs2 for obesity and fatty liver (NAFLD)

  This research looks at whether blocking a mitochondrial magnesium channel called Mrs2 can lower liver fat and improve metabolism for people with obesity, type 2 diabetes, or fatty liver disease.

  NIH research University of Texas Hlth Science Center · San Antonio, United States · NIH-11261069

• IP6K1-targeted medicines to treat fatty liver (NAFLD/NASH)

  Developing new medicines that block IP6K1 to lower liver fat, reduce inflammation, and improve metabolism in people with NAFLD/NASH.

  NIH research Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, United States · NIH-11258507

• Boosting liver fat burning to help fatty liver, NASH, and type 2 diabetes

  This project tests whether increasing the liver's ability to burn fat using a long-term glucagon infusion can lower liver fat and improve blood sugar in people with fatty liver and type 2 diabetes.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11252534

• SGLT2 medicines to lower liver fat in children and teens with fatty liver

  Researchers will give SGLT2 diabetes medicines to children and teens with fatty liver disease to see if their liver fat and metabolism improve.

  NIH research Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago · Chicago, United States · NIH-11249574

• RNA chemical tags and liver inflammation in obesity-related fatty liver disease

  Researchers are looking at whether changes in an RNA chemical mark called m6A in immune cells drive liver inflammation in people with obesity-related fatty liver disease.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11248830

• Early detection and outcome prediction for fatty liver (NAFLD)

  Using AI on medical records to find which adults with fatty liver are more likely to develop serious liver problems.

  NIH research Mayo Clinic Rochester · Rochester, United States · NIH-11247579

• Dynamic risk models to improve NAFLD care for VA patients

  A VA project will add smart, evolving prediction tools to identify VA patients at risk of NAFLD progression and help clinicians tailor care.

  NIH research Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center · Charleston, United States · NIH-11242916

• Why advanced fatty liver disease affects Hispanic communities more

  This project compares genetic, lifestyle, environmental, and immune factors in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white adults in Los Angeles to understand what leads to advanced fatty liver disease.

  NIH research University of Southern California · Los Angeles, UNITED STATES · NIH-11238464

• Genetic drivers of family-linked fatty liver (NAFLD/NASH)

  Researchers will grow liver cells from family members' stem cells to find genes that cause and could be targeted to treat familial fatty liver (NAFLD/NASH).

  NIH research University of California, San Francisco · San Francisco, United States · NIH-11237562

• Understanding stress and liver health in Mexican-Origin adults with fatty liver disease

  This project looks at how stress related to adapting to a new culture might affect liver health in Mexican-Origin adults who have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

  NIH research University of Arizona · Tucson, United States · NIH-11193289

• Understanding the connection between type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease

  This project explores how insulin resistance in the liver links type 2 diabetes with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which can progress to a more serious condition called NASH.

  NIH research Boston Children's Hospital · Boston, United States · NIH-11184358

• Genetic and environmental risks for fatty liver–related liver cancer in Latino adults

  This project looks at how genes and life‑time exposures combine to change the chance that Latino adults with fatty liver will develop liver cancer.

  NIH research University of Miami School of Medicine · Coral Gables, United States · NIH-11175366

• Understanding Liver Disease Progression in NAFLD and NASH

  This work explores how problems with fat secretion from the liver contribute to the worsening of fatty liver disease and liver scarring in people.

  NIH research Washington University · Saint Louis, United States · NIH-11167705

• Understanding liver disease in people with HIV

  This project explores why liver disease, specifically fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is common and often more severe in people living with HIV.

  NIH research Massachusetts General Hospital · Boston, United States · NIH-11142541

Related topics

Quick answers

How many NAFLD clinical trials are recruiting right now?

30, as of November 12, 2026. We update this list each time we refresh our data from ClinicalTrials.gov.

Where are these trials running?

In 20 countries. The most sites are in Italy (7 trials), United States (7 trials), Belgium (3 trials), Spain (3 trials), France (3 trials). Each study page lists its sites and which ones are recruiting.

What phases are they in?

Phase 2: 4, Phase 1: 1. Trials with no phase listed are usually device, behavioural or observational studies.

How do I join one?

Open a study, check the "Is this trial a fit for you?" section, then contact the study team listed on the page. They will ask a few screening questions. Asking is free and does not commit you to anything. Talk it over with your doctor first.

Find the studies that fit you

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