How liver cells manage fat storage and export
Official title: Hepatocellular determinants of lipid storage and secretion
Funded at University of California Berkeley · NIH-11452924 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study from UC Berkeley looks at how liver cells take in, store, and release fats, which could help treat fatty liver disease and obesity-related conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $632,201 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DK149096-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11452924 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with obesity-related steatosis or MAFLD could potentially benefit from advances arising from this research, should translational applications emerge.
✕Less likely to help
If the research does not translate to human therapies, direct benefits to individual patients may be limited.
What this research studies
This project investigates the cellular pathways by which hepatocytes handle neutral fats, focusing on lipid droplets and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) production. Using fluorescence-based CRISPR-Cas9 screens, researchers have identified CLCC1 as a key regulator of lipid storage and have observed that removing CLCC1 causes abnormal lipid droplets and disrupted nuclear membrane structures in liver cells and mice. The team will explore how CLCC1 influences lipid routing at the endoplasmic reticulum and its impact on lipoprotein assembly and secretion in vivo. Findings could reveal new targets to prevent hepatic steatosis and related metabolic disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new strategies to prevent or treat fatty liver disease by normalizing lipid storage and secretion in liver cells.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked CLCC1 to lipid handling in cells, supporting the plausibility of this approach, but direct human therapeutic implications remain to be proven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Olzmann, James a — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Olzmann, James a
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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.