Integrated care to improve liver transplant outcomes for alcohol-associated liver disease
Official title: 1/4-The INTEGRATE Study: Evaluating INTEGRATEd Care to Improve Biopsychosocial Outcomes of Early Liver Transplantation for Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11398268 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A multi-center study will see how integrating alcohol-use treatment with liver transplant care affects biopsychosocial outcomes for people with alcohol-related liver disease who are being considered for early liver transplantation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $441,322 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA030956-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398268 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with alcohol-associated liver disease (including AAC and AH) who are evaluated for early liver transplantation and are within the study's participating centers.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not pursuing early liver transplantation or not receiving integrated AUD/ALD care may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses a collaborative, multi-site approach to study early liver transplantation for advanced alcohol-related liver disease. It will collect biopsychosocial data, develop risk prediction models, and evaluate how coordinated alcohol-use treatment impacts transplant outcomes. The goal is to identify referral factors, standardize outcome measures, and involve stakeholders beyond transplant teams to improve patient care. The findings could guide clinicians in offering timely, integrated care to patients with ALD who may benefit from early transplant.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with ALD could receive more timely and better-coordinated care that supports abstinence and improves transplant outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests that integrated care and abstinence are linked to better outcomes, but prospective, multi-site data are limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vanwagner, Lisa B — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Vanwagner, Lisa B
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Targeting a specific CD38 form to protect livers from injury after transplant
A new approach tests a selective drug to protect donor livers from injury during transplant, potentially increasing usable organs and improving transplant outcomes.
-
Regulatory dendritic cell therapy to reduce immunosuppressive drugs after liver transplant
A new approach using donor-derived regulatory dendritic cells is being tested to help adults who receive a liver transplant live without relying on traditional immunosuppressive drugs.
-
HOPE liver transplant: reducing infections and cancer risk for HIV-positive recipients
This grant aims to better understand why HIV-positive liver transplant recipients face higher infection and cancer risks and to improve safety and outcomes for these patients.
-
Early liver transplant decisions for severe alcohol-related liver disease
A large study follows adults with severe alcohol-related liver disease to understand how to best select and manage patients for early liver transplantation.
-
Early Liver Transplant for Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis
A hospital-based program is studying whether offering an early liver transplant to patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis can save lives when standard medical treatment fails.
-
Early liver transplant for severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH) to save lives
A Johns Hopkins program is testing whether giving an early liver transplant to patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis who can’t be helped by standard treatments can save lives and reduce relapse risk.
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.