Clearance of Dead Liver Cells by Immune Cells in NASH
Official title: Clearance of Dead Hepatocytes by Liver Macrophages in NASH
Funded at Louisiana State Univ Hsc Shreveport · NIH-11389486 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how liver macrophages remove dead liver cells in NASH to uncover new ways to treat the disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Louisiana State Univ Hsc Shreveport NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Shreveport, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,622 |
| NIH project number | 5R00DK137021-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11389486 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), especially those with advanced liver fibrosis, may benefit from future therapies arising from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without NASH or without liver fibrosis may not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This project focuses on how dying liver cells are cleared by macrophages in people with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and how this process affects liver scarring. It will use mouse models and human samples to examine whether blocking or enhancing specific pathways changes the clearance of apoptotic and necroptotic liver cells. The work aims to identify druggable mechanisms related to cell cross-talk that could slow or stop fibrosis in NASH. The research builds on prior findings that dead cell clearance is impaired in NASH and seeks to test precise hypotheses about macrophage receptors like TIM4 and related pathways. The ultimate goal is to translate these insights into human-relevant strategies for therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could reveal targets to improve dead-cell clearance and reduce liver fibrosis in NASH.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical data suggest that impaired efferocytosis contributes to disease progression, but human relevance is being actively explored in this project.
Where this research is happening
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Louisiana State Univ Hsc Shreveport
Shreveport, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shi, Hongxue — Louisiana State Univ Hsc Shreveport
- Study coordinator: Shi, Hongxue
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.