BOLD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
BiOmarker discovery in Liver Disease (BOLD) study
IRAS ID
309551
Contact name
Prakash Ramachandran
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
13 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The liver is an important body organ which has many functions, including nutrition, blood clotting, making proteins and removing poisons. Unfortunately, long-term damage of the liver causes an increasing number of premature deaths in the UK. Liver damage can be caused by a number of things, including viruses, fatty damage, alcohol, toxins and the body’s own immune system. Over time, some livers will regenerate and heal, and some will continue to get damaged, leading to severe scarring called cirrhosis. People with advanced cirrhosis are at risk of developing symptoms and complications as a result of this scar tissue and the fact this stops the liver stops functioning correctly. The mechanisms behind these processes are not completely understood, and no reliable or simple test exists to tell doctors who is at greatest risk of developing liver cirrhosis and its complications and who is likely to have stable disease. Therefore, better tests (called biomarkers) are urgently needed to identify the highest risk patients, before they develop complications.
There is scientific evidence that immune cells in the liver and blood play an important role in this process, which starts in the early stages of liver disease. Laboratory technologies allow researchers to identify specific cells that may be involved.
The aim of this study is to identify new biomarkers of liver disease and to better understand changes in immune cells as liver disease progresses. In the future, this knowledge may lead to an improved understanding of liver disease and the development of treatments to prevent progression and complications.
REC name
East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/EE/0044
Date of REC Opinion
24 Feb 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion