Re-engineering a human 3D liver tissue model to screen drugs for fatty liver disease
Official title: Re-engineering a human 3D liver tissue model for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease for drug screening
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11345128 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project is creating a human-like 3D liver model to test drugs for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $238,500 |
| NIH project number | 5UH3TR004124-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11345128 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with NAFLD or at risk of fatty liver disease may benefit from advances in drug screening and precision medicine.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without liver disease are unlikely to directly benefit from this model-driven research.
What this research studies
This project uses a sophisticated liver model made from human cells to mimic how NAFLD develops in the body. It combines vascularized 3D tissue (vLAMPS) with patient-derived cells, including iPSC-derived liver cells, to study how different drugs work. The team will run high-throughput tests and integrate data in a specialized database to understand reproducibility and which drug combinations look promising. The goal is to improve predictive power for drug screening in NAFLD and move toward precision medicine. All work is designed to translate findings into options for people affected by fatty liver disease in the future.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the model could speed up finding effective drugs for NAFLD and help tailor treatments to individual patients.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical human liver models have shown promise in predicting drug responses, but translating to approved therapies remains challenging, making this an innovative and evolving area.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Miedel, Mark T. — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Miedel, Mark T.
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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.