Understanding liver disease in people with HIV
Official title: YAP signaling in the pathogenesis of NAFLD in people living with HIV
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11142541 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores why liver disease, specifically fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is common and often more severe in people living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 26, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $812,743 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK138474-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11142541 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is focused on understanding the mechanisms of liver disease in people living with HIV who also have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
✕Less likely to help
Patients without HIV or NAFLD would not directly benefit from this specific mechanistic research.
What this research studies
Liver disease has become a major health concern for people living with HIV, with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) being a leading cause of serious liver scarring. We currently don't fully understand why NAFLD progresses faster and more severely in individuals with HIV compared to those without. This research focuses on a specific cellular pathway, called YAP, which appears to play a significant role in how liver scarring develops. By uncovering how HIV influences this YAP pathway, we aim to identify new ways to prevent or treat severe liver disease in this vulnerable population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that target the YAP pathway to prevent or slow down liver scarring in people with HIV and NAFLD.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work by the researchers and others has shown that HIV can promote liver scarring and that the YAP pathway is involved in NAFLD fibrosis, suggesting a promising direction for this investigation.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chung, Raymond T — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Chung, Raymond T
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Lipid signals that control acetyl-CoA and fat metabolism in NAFLD
A study exploring how membrane lipids influence acetyl-CoA metabolism to understand and potentially treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
-
Long-term study of NAFLD progression and gut bacteria in diverse groups
We’re following people over time to see how the gut microbiome and diet relate to fatty liver disease progression in diverse racial/ethnic groups.
-
Genetic and environmental risk for fatty liver cancer in Latinos (GENIAL)
A study to understand why Latino people with fatty liver disease might be more likely to develop liver cancer and to use genetic and environmental clues to predict who is at higher risk.
-
Toxic fats, vitamin B12 loss, and AHR may drive fatty liver disease
This grant looks at how certain environmental chemicals may trigger liver damage linked to fatty liver disease and how a vitamin found in the blood could be affected.
-
Role of cholesterol metabolism in toxin-driven liver disease
This grant explores how a liver toxin called TCDD affects cholesterol and fatty liver disease, and how a key enzyme (HMGCR) might change that risk in adults.
-
Small blood particle signals and fatty liver in children and teens
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.
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.