Early liver transplant for severe alcoholic hepatitis — animal work
Official title: Project 4-Early Liver Transplantation for Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis: Animal Studies
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11101272 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses animal models to learn how chronic or recent heavy drinking affects liver transplant results for people with severe alcoholic hepatitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2019 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $437,511 |
| NIH project number | 5P50AA027054-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11101272 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This work is most relevant to patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis who are candidates for or interested in early liver transplantation.
✕Less likely to help
People without alcoholic liver disease or those not facing transplant decisions are unlikely to see direct benefit from this animal-focused project.
What this research studies
Researchers transplant rat livers to mimic early liver transplantation for severe alcoholic hepatitis and compare outcomes when recipients have been exposed to alcohol versus not. They study whether ongoing alcohol use changes rejection, how well the liver regenerates after a smaller transplant, and how immunosuppressive drugs work in that setting. The team is looking at immune cell behavior, especially neutrophils and oxidative injury, to find biological reasons some patients do well without long pre-transplant abstinence. Findings aim to explain clinical observations and guide safer transplant timing and donor choices.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians choose better timing, donor types, and post-transplant care for people with severe alcoholic hepatitis.
How similar studies have gone: Clinical programs have reported promising outcomes for early liver transplant in select patients, and this animal research builds on those clinical observations to explore underlying biological mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sun, Zhaoli — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Sun, Zhaoli
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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-
Regulatory dendritic cell therapy to reduce immunosuppressive drugs after liver transplant
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-
HOPE liver transplant: reducing infections and cancer risk for HIV-positive recipients
This grant aims to better understand why HIV-positive liver transplant recipients face higher infection and cancer risks and to improve safety and outcomes for these patients.
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Early liver transplant decisions for severe alcohol-related liver disease
A large study follows adults with severe alcohol-related liver disease to understand how to best select and manage patients for early liver transplantation.
-
Early Liver Transplant for Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis
A hospital-based program is studying whether offering an early liver transplant to patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis can save lives when standard medical treatment fails.
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Early liver transplant for severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH) to save lives
A Johns Hopkins program is testing whether giving an early liver transplant to patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis who can’t be helped by standard treatments can save lives and reduce relapse risk.
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.