Pediatric Acute Liver Failure: Quieting the Immune System to Help Young Patients
Official title: Pediatric Acute Liver Failure Immune Response Network (PALF IRN): Treatment for Immune Mediated Pathophysiology (TRIUMPH)
Funded at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago · NIH-11345696 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant tests immune-suppressing therapies to help children with acute liver failure by calming an overactive immune response.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2021 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,560,333 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DK127995-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11345696 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children aged 0-11 years with acute liver failure who meet PALF criteria and are candidates for immune-modulating therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Children who do not have an immune-mediated component to their PALF or who cannot safely receive immunosuppressive therapy.
What this research studies
Pediatric Acute Liver Failure is a rare, life-threatening condition in children where the immune system may drive damage to the liver. The PALF IRN plans a treatment approach using high-dose corticosteroids or equine anti-thymocyte globulin to dampen the inflammatory immune response and support liver healing. The study aims to determine if these immune-suppressing therapies can reverse damage and reduce the need for liver transplantation. If successful, this work could lead to clearer treatment options for children with PALF and improve survival and recovery. Participation would involve children with PALF who are eligible for therapy under careful clinical supervision.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, children with PALF may experience reduced inflammation, improved liver function, and a lower chance of needing a transplant.
How similar studies have gone: Prior experiences in other conditions suggest that immune-suppressive therapies can reverse tissue damage when hyperinflammation is driving disease.
Where this research is happening
-
Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Alonso, Estella M. — Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Alonso, Estella M.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
SRXN1 and protein sulfinylation in drug-induced acute liver failure
A study in people and models aims to understand how a liver toxin (acetaminophen) causes liver failure by oxidative stress and how SRXN1-related processes might help prevent or treat it.
-
Understanding how CD8 T cells and liver macrophages interact to cause pediatric acute liver failure
A mentoring-based research effort aims to understand how immune cells in the liver contribute to severe liver failure in children.
-
Intestine-targeted LXR therapy to protect the liver in short gut syndrome
This project will try an intestine-only drug that activates LXR to help children with short gut syndrome avoid liver damage.
-
Investigating how a protein affects liver failure during sepsis
This study is looking at how infections can suddenly worsen liver problems in people who already have liver issues, using a special mouse model to explore how certain proteins affect liver health, with the hope of finding better treatments for those affected.
-
Investigating treatments for children with severe liver failure caused by immune responses
This study is looking at new treatments for kids with Pediatric Acute Liver Failure, a serious condition where the liver stops working properly, to see if certain medications can help calm down the immune system and heal the liver, potentially avoiding the need for a liver transplant.
-
Investigating how energy production in mitochondria affects liver health
This study is looking at how problems with energy production in liver cells might affect conditions like nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and liver failure, using a special mouse model to help find new ways to treat these liver issues.
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.