Understanding how liver cells remember past injuries and contribute to liver fibrosis
Official title: Hepatic stellate cell plasticity and maladaptive fibrogenic memory in chronic liver disease
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11042764 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how certain liver cells remember past injuries and cause scarring in the liver, which can help us find new ways to treat chronic liver disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $592,181 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK136016-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11042764 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults with chronic liver disease or those who have experienced repeated liver injuries.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with acute liver injury who do not have a history of chronic liver disease may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the behavior of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which play a crucial role in liver fibrosis, particularly how they respond to repeated liver injuries. The study aims to uncover the mechanisms behind HSCs' ability to remember past injuries and how this memory leads to excessive scar tissue formation. By utilizing advanced technologies to analyze gene expression and epigenomic changes in a mouse model, the research seeks to clarify the role of DNA methylation patterns in this process. The findings could provide insights into potential therapeutic targets for treating chronic liver disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new treatments that prevent or reverse liver fibrosis, improving outcomes for patients with chronic liver disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown promising results in understanding cellular memory in other contexts, suggesting that this approach may yield valuable insights into liver fibrosis.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Shuang — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Wang, Shuang
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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.