Ultrasound tests to find and track fatty liver in children
Official title: Quantitative Ultrasound To Diagnose Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children.
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11326290 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops easy-to-use ultrasound methods to find and monitor liver fat in children who are overweight or obese.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $669,527 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK135951-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11326290 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Best candidates are children about 9 to 17 years old who are overweight or obese and are at risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
✕Less likely to help
Adults, children without liver fat risk factors, or patients who already need a liver biopsy for advanced disease may not gain direct benefit from this ultrasound-focused work.
What this research studies
You would get noninvasive ultrasound scans that use quantitative measurements to estimate how much fat is in the liver. The team is creating improved analysis methods that work on full-size clinical ultrasound machines and on lower-cost portable point-of-care ultrasound devices. They plan to compare and validate these ultrasound measures against reference standards in children, and to make the technique reliable across different machine brands. The goal is a practical, accurate test that can be used more widely outside specialized radiology departments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give children an easier, safer way to detect and follow fatty liver earlier so care can start sooner.
How similar studies have gone: Prior ultrasound approaches have shown promise but have been inconsistent in children, so this project builds on preliminary results to improve accuracy and portability.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sirlin, Claude B — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Sirlin, Claude B
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Using ultrasound to diagnose fatty liver disease in children.
This study is working to help kids with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by creating better ultrasound tools to spot liver fat early, so they can get the care they need sooner.
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Using ultrasound to detect early signs of fatty liver disease
This study is testing a new ultrasound method to help find nonalcoholic fatty liver disease early, making it easier and cheaper for patients to get checked for liver health before serious problems develop.
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Targeting fatty liver disease in women around pregnancy to improve health
This grant explores how to identify and help pregnant and postpartum women who are at risk for fatty liver disease to prevent liver problems later.
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Clinically meaningful research on fatty liver disease in adults and children
A nationwide effort studying MASLD, the major form of fatty liver disease, to find better ways to identify who is at risk and how to treat it, including kids and adults.
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NAFLD in PCOS: Do androgens drive liver injury and fatty liver progression?
Young women with PCOS may face liver disease progression due to high androgen levels, and this research looks at targeted ways to slow or prevent that progression.
-
How genes and heavy metals influence fatty liver disease
This project looks at how a person’s genes and the amounts of metals in their liver together relate to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
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.