Developing a tool to predict liver drug clearance and toxicity for patients with fatty liver disease
Official title: MPS Qualification Section
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11003761 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new system to help understand how drugs are processed and their safety for people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), aiming to find the best doses and which patients might benefit most, while also reducing the need for animal testing.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,018,342 |
| NIH project number | 5U2CTR004863-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11003761 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease who may be participating in clinical trials for new drug therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or those not involved in clinical trials may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to qualify a liver acinus microphysiological system (LAMPS) as a drug development tool to predict how drugs are cleared by the liver and to assess their toxicity in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). By using advanced modeling techniques, the study will help determine safe dosing for first-in-human clinical trials and identify which patients may respond best to specific drug candidates. The research will also focus on reducing reliance on animal testing and improving the relevance of toxicity assessments to human health. Overall, it seeks to enhance the precision of therapies for individuals with NAFLD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to safer and more effective drug treatments for patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using microphysiological systems for drug testing, indicating potential success for this novel approach.
Where this research is happening
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University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schurdak, Mark E — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Schurdak, Mark E
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.