How genes and heavy metals influence fatty liver disease
Official title: Interaction between Genome and Heavy Metals in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Funded at Wayne State University · NIH-11306089 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how a person’s genes and the amounts of metals in their liver together relate to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wayne State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $577,868 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES034410-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11306089 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with a clinical or biopsy-based diagnosis of NAFLD who can provide consent and liver tissue or allow access to their liver biopsy data are the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without fatty liver, children, or anyone seeking an immediate therapy rather than contributing samples or clinical data are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This project uses liver samples and clinical data from people with NAFLD to measure naturally accumulated metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic in the liver. Researchers will combine those metal measurements with genetic and epigenetic data from the same livers to find gene × metal interactions. They will compare these molecular findings to biopsy features and disease severity to see how metals and genes together relate to NAFLD. Promising interactions will be followed up in the lab to better understand possible biological mechanisms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new markers or targets that help prevent, diagnose, or treat NAFLD.
How similar studies have gone: Previous genetic studies and separate reports linking metal exposures to NAFLD exist, but direct studies of gene–metal interactions in human liver tissue are largely novel and not yet well established.
Where this research is happening
-
Wayne State University
Detroit, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liu, Wanqing — Wayne State University
- Study coordinator: Liu, Wanqing
Related research
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This study is looking at how nonalcoholic fatty liver disease might increase the chances of developing preeclampsia in overweight and obese pregnant women, with the goal of finding ways to keep moms and babies healthier during pregnancy.
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.