SGLT2 medicines to lower liver fat in children and teens with fatty liver
Mechanisms of SGLT2 Inhibition in Pediatric NAFLD
Researchers will give SGLT2 diabetes medicines to children and teens with fatty liver disease to see if their liver fat and metabolism improve.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11249574 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you would take an SGLT2 pill similar to medicines used for diabetes while the team tracks your liver fat and metabolic health. The study will use liver imaging and metabolic tests before and after treatment to measure changes in hepatic fat, insulin sensitivity, and body weight. Investigators will also measure how the liver produces glucose and burns fat (including markers of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and endogenous glucose production) to understand how the drug works. The focus is on adolescents with obesity and NAFLD who do not yet have type 2 diabetes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children and adolescents with obesity and confirmed NAFLD who do not have type 2 diabetes and can attend visits at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without fatty liver, those with contraindications to SGLT2 drugs (for example severe kidney disease), or those unable to travel to the study site are unlikely to benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, SGLT2 medicines could meaningfully lower liver fat in children and teens and improve metabolic health related to NAFLD.
How similar studies have performed: Adult clinical trials and animal studies have shown SGLT2 inhibitors can reduce hepatic fat and improve metabolism, but this approach has not been tested in pediatric patients.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ryder, Justin R. — Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Ryder, Justin R.
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.