Understanding how liver cells regain maturity after alcohol-related liver injury
Official title: Mechanisms that regulate hepatocyte fate during recovery from alcohol associated hepatitis
Funded at University of Kansas Medical Center · NIH-11553077 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project studies how liver cells can be coaxed to become fully mature again in people with alcohol-related liver disease, aiming to improve liver function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $301,070 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AA033840-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11553077 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with alcohol-related liver disease, particularly those with alcoholic hepatitis or advanced liver injury, who could benefit from restored liver function.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with unrelated liver conditions or advanced non-recoverable liver failure may not benefit.
What this research studies
Alcohol-associated liver disease can progress to life-threatening states like alcoholic hepatitis. The research will explore how repopulated liver progenitor cells can be reprogrammed into mature hepatocytes to restore liver function, using insights from patient liver samples and animal models. The study builds on findings about mTOR signaling and TSC1 in AH to identify targets that promote healthy liver cell maturation. If successful, this work could pave the way for new therapies to help patients recover liver function.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with alcoholic hepatitis could regain liver function and improve survival.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that signaling pathways like mTOR can influence liver cell maturation, supporting the rationale for this approach but direct clinical efficacy remains to be demonstrated.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ding, Wen-Xing — University of Kansas Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Ding, Wen-Xing
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.