EPoS-UK
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Elucidating Pathways of Steatohepatitis (UK)
IRAS ID
178250
Contact name
Quentin Anstee
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Strongly associated with the epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) that are testing healthcare systems worldwide, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly common cause of advanced liver disease across Europe. NAFLD is a spectrum of hepatic fat accumulation (steatosis); steatosis plus inflammation (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, NASH); fibrosis/cirrhosis; and hepatocellular carcinoma in the absence of high alcohol consumption.
Up to 30% of the population have NAFLD, which will be the main aetiology underlying liver transplants by 2020. However, NAFLD is characterized by substantial inter-patient variability in severity and rate of progression. What determines this is unknown. A large population is at risk, but only some experience morbidity. NAFLD severity is currently best assessed by liver biopsy, an invasive, costly and risky procedure – factors that hinder treatment. There is a need to understand the biological and environmental factors that drive inter-patient variability and to develop robust and more acceptable methods for diagnosis, risk stratification and therapy so that effective medical care may be targeted to those that will benefit most.
The overall EPoS concept is that improved understanding of pathogenic processes and drivers of disease progression will best be achieved when multiple ‘omics’ approaches are applied to a single cohort of patients to build a multi-dimensional record of how systems are perturbed across the entire spectrum of disease. Once completed, EPoS promises to deliver a substantial and definitive atlas of pathophysiological variation across a spectrum of progressive liver disease. This knowledge will be used to design better diagnostic tests and guide development of better treatments. Translation of these findings will likely also impact on closely related diseases including T2DM and cardiovascular disease.REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NE/0150
Date of REC Opinion
1 May 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion