How the liver's stress response controls bile acids
The Unfolded Protein Response and Bile Acid Metabolism
['FUNDING_R01'] · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · NIH-11238869
Researchers are seeing whether boosting a liver stress-response protein called XBP1s can lower harmful bile acid production in people with cholestatic liver disease.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (CHICAGO, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11238869 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you have cholestatic liver disease, this research looks at how a cell stress pathway (XBP1s) changes the genes that make and handle bile acids. The team will use mouse models and human liver samples and apply genomic tools such as ATAC-seq to find which bile acid genes (like Cyp7a1 and SHP) are turned on or off. They will measure bile acid levels and markers of ER stress and link those molecular findings to samples from patients with cholestasis. The goal is to reveal mechanisms that could guide treatments to reduce bile-acid–driven liver injury.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would be people with cholestatic liver disorders (for example bile duct obstruction, primary sclerosing cholangitis, or primary biliary cholangitis) who can provide clinical data or liver tissue samples at collaborating centers.
Not a fit: People without cholestatic liver disease or those with unrelated liver conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to reduce bile acid production or toxicity and slow progression of cholestatic liver diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Previous mouse experiments and analysis of human liver specimens suggest XBP1s affects bile acid metabolism, but therapeutic approaches based on this pathway have not yet been proven in patients.
Where this research is happening
CHICAGO, UNITED STATES
- NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY — CHICAGO, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: GREEN, RICHARD M — NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: GREEN, RICHARD M
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.