How immune cells affect bile-duct cells in alcohol-related liver inflammation
Interactions between neutrophils and cholangiocytes in alcoholic hepatitis
This project looks at how immune cells called neutrophils interact with bile-duct cells in people with alcohol-related liver inflammation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11129749 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You will hear about research that focuses on bile-duct cells (cholangiocytes) and their role in the cholestasis that often makes alcoholic hepatitis worse. The team is especially interested in loss of a calcium channel called ITPR3 in cholangiocytes and how that loss may lead to poor bile secretion. They will use lab work including human tissue or cell samples, animal models, and tissue analyses to see how neutrophils damage or alter cholangiocyte function. The goal is to identify mechanisms that could become new targets to prevent or treat the cholestasis that raises the risk of death in alcoholic hepatitis.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with alcoholic hepatitis or other alcohol-related liver disease who might provide blood or tissue samples or participate in linked observational studies at the research site.
Not a fit: People without alcohol-related liver disease or those with very advanced, end-stage liver failure are unlikely to see direct or immediate benefit from this mechanistic research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to protect bile-duct cells and reduce dangerous cholestasis in people with alcoholic hepatitis.
How similar studies have performed: Loss of ITPR3 and cholestasis have been linked in other cholangiopathies, but applying that knowledge to alcoholic hepatitis and neutrophil interactions is a relatively new direction.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nathanson, Michael H — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Nathanson, Michael H
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 below.