How the STING immune switch affects bile-duct related liver damage
Role of STING in Cholestatic Liver Injury
Researchers are looking to see if blocking a cell-defense switch called STING can reduce bile-duct-related liver damage in people with cholestatic conditions like primary sclerosing cholangitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas A&m University Health Science Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Station, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11321732 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work uses human liver samples, cell experiments, and mouse models to study how STING activity in bile duct cells, immune cells, and stellate cells drives inflammation and scarring in cholestasis. The team will block STING in specific cell types to see whether that reduces ductular reaction, macrophage activation, and liver fibrosis. They will analyze mitochondrial DNA and extracellular vesicles from patient-derived cholangiocytes to understand how damaged bile duct cells signal to immune cells. Findings from these lab and animal studies aim to point toward treatments that could be tested in people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cholestatic liver diseases like primary sclerosing cholangitis or bile duct obstruction, especially those with ongoing inflammation or fibrosis, would be the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: People with liver conditions that are not driven by bile-duct injury, such as simple fatty liver without cholestasis or inactive chronic viral hepatitis, are less likely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that reduce inflammation and scarring in bile-duct diseases such as primary sclerosing cholangitis.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical studies have recently linked STING to liver inflammation and fibrosis, but translating STING-targeting approaches into human therapies remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
College Station, United States
- Texas A&m University Health Science Ctr — College Station, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Glaser, Shannon Stroud — Texas A&m University Health Science Ctr
- Study coordinator: Glaser, Shannon Stroud
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.