How liver immune cells clear dead liver cells in NASH
Official title: Clearance of Dead Hepatocytes by Liver Macrophages in NASH
Funded at Louisiana State Univ Hsc Shreveport · NIH-11357874 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how liver macrophages remove dying liver cells in people with NASH to find targets for new treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Louisiana State Univ Hsc Shreveport NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Shreveport, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 4R00DK137021-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11357874 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or fatty liver with inflammation or early fibrosis would be the most relevant candidates for related future studies or sample donation.
✕Less likely to help
People without NASH (for example those with alcohol-related liver disease) or those with very advanced, end-stage cirrhosis are unlikely to benefit directly from this mechanistic research.
What this research studies
I learned that in NASH the liver builds up dead liver cells that may drive scarring, and this project compares how immune cells (macrophages) clear two kinds of dead cells (apoptotic and necroptotic). The team will use mouse NASH models and human liver samples to study the receptors and signals macrophages use, focusing on a receptor called TIM4 and pathways linked to necroptosis. They will delete TIM4 in macrophages in mice and use inducible models to see whether this makes clearance worse and speeds fibrosis, and they will compare those findings to data from human NASH tissues. The goal is to identify mechanisms that could be targeted by new drugs to slow or stop liver scarring in NASH.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new drug targets that reduce liver inflammation and fibrosis in people with NASH.
How similar studies have gone: Research on macrophage clearance of dead cells has shown benefit in other inflammatory conditions, but applying TIM4- and necroptosis-focused approaches specifically to NASH is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
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Louisiana State Univ Hsc Shreveport
Shreveport, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shi, Hongxue — Louisiana State Univ Hsc Shreveport
- Study coordinator: Shi, Hongxue
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.