Long-term study of NAFLD progression and gut bacteria in diverse groups
Official title: Longitudinal Study of Early NAFLD Progression and the Gut Microbiome in Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Whites
Funded at University of Hawaii at Manoa · NIH-11453729 · Data updated 2026-11-12
We’re following people over time to see how the gut microbiome and diet relate to fatty liver disease progression in diverse racial/ethnic groups.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Hawaii at Manoa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Honolulu, United States) |
| Project start | September 26, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $62,597 |
| NIH project number | 3R01MD018265-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11453729 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 60-77 from Japanese American, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and White populations who participated in the MEC-APS cohort and are willing to be followed for up to 10 years.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals outside the specified age range, other ethnic groups not included in the study, or those not enrolled in the MEC-APS cohort may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project builds on a previous study to follow 300 adults ages 60-77 from three racial/ethnic groups for about 10 years. It will collect gut bacteria data using 16S sequencing, assess liver fat and fibrosis, and examine how diet and gut microbes relate to disease progression. The aim is to identify microbial features and blood biomarkers that track with worsening liver condition and to understand how dietary factors influence these changes. Findings could guide personalized prevention and treatment strategies for NAFLD in diverse populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could help tailor dietary and microbiome-based approaches to slow or prevent NAFLD progression in people at risk.
How similar studies have gone: Prior cross-sectional work showed microbiome differences by NAFLD status; longitudinal data are needed and have the potential to reveal causal links.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Honolulu, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lim, Unhee — University of Hawaii at Manoa
- Study coordinator: Lim, Unhee
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Long-term gut microbiome and NAFLD progression in diverse adults
A long-term study will follow 300 adults from diverse racial groups to see how their gut bacteria relate to the progression of fatty liver disease over about a decade.
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Understanding Liver Disease Progression and Gut Health in Diverse Communities
This research looks at how changes in gut bacteria might be connected to the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) over time in Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and White individuals.
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Understanding Liver Fat and Gut Health in Diverse Communities
This project looks at how gut bacteria and diet might be connected to the progression of fatty liver disease in Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and White individuals.
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Investigating how diet and gut health affect liver disease and Alzheimer's risk in diverse populations
This study is looking at how the gut bacteria and diet affect the early stages of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver damage over ten years, especially in people from different backgrounds, to find new ways to prevent and treat these conditions.
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Investigating how gut bacteria affect liver disease progression in diverse populations
This study is looking at how the bacteria in our gut and what we eat might affect the worsening of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) over time in Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Whites, and it involves tracking participants for almost ten years to learn more about these connections.
-
Multi-agent AI to annotate enzymes in the human gut microbiome
A team at a major university will build an AI system that automatically curates and labels the functions of enzymes in the human gut microbiome to speed up understanding their health effects.
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.