Small blood particle signals and fatty liver in children and teens
Official title: Extracellular vesicle cargo and risk of NAFLD and NASH in U.S. youth
Funded at Translational Genomics Research Inst · NIH-11380653 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether molecules carried in tiny blood particles can explain or signal fatty liver disease in children and adolescents with excess weight.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Translational Genomics Research Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Phoenix, United States) |
| Project start | April 15, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $756,297 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK127015-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11380653 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children and adolescents with overweight or suspected metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)/NAFLD, able to attend study visits for blood draws and clinical measurements.
✕Less likely to help
Adults well beyond the pediatric age range, or children without excess weight or liver fat, are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
What this research studies
You or your child may be asked to give blood so researchers can isolate extracellular vesicles (tiny particles released by cells) and measure the proteins and other cargo they carry. The team will compare these vesicle signatures between youth with and without fatty liver and relate them to liver fat, inflammation, and clinical measures like BMI. Some work will look at liver-specific vesicles and whether signatures change after lifestyle improvements that lower liver fat. The goal is to link vesicle cargo to how pediatric fatty liver starts and progresses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help create blood-based markers to detect or monitor fatty liver in children earlier and point to new treatment targets.
How similar studies have gone: Previous adult studies and preliminary pediatric proof-of-principle work have found distinctive extracellular vesicle protein signatures linked to fatty liver, but pediatric research on EV cargo remains limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Translational Genomics Research Inst
Phoenix, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Distefano, Johanna K — Translational Genomics Research Inst
- Study coordinator: Distefano, Johanna K
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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.