Lymphocytes in liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma development
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The role of lymphocytes in inflammatory liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma tumorigenesis
IRAS ID
189455
Contact name
Andrew Godkin
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
10 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Liver disease affects over 2 million people in the UK and the burden of disease continues to rise. This diverse group of diseases includes hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) infections, autoimmune liver hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease and non alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). These diseases result in a common pathway of immune activation, inflammation and fibrosis of the liver tissue. This inflammatory process can result in liver failure, cirrhosis and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In 2012 265 people in Wales were diagnosed with HCC and 230 individuals died from HCC.
It is likely that inflammatory liver diseases are associated with a skewed immune response. For example HCV may target immune cells to alter their function such that they are more permissive to chronic infection. HCC is strongly associated with viral hepatitis and a skewed immune response may aid tumour immune evasion and lead to tumour progression. Current screening techniques are suboptimal and are yet to provide good evidence of survival benefit. Reduction in liver inflammation remains the basis of many therapeutic strategies and induces viral eradication and suppression, alcohol cessation or metformin for NASH.
This study aims to identify the active subsets of immune cells within the liver and the alterations in their function as treatments are initiated. This will help to identify patients most at risk of the serious complications of liver disease and provide novel therapeutic targets. In addition we aim to characterise the immune cells that are active or have skewed function within HCC, benign liver lesions and in the surrounding liver tissue. This will identify patients most at risk of developing HCC and will improve screening and provide novel preventative approaches.
REC name
Wales REC 2
REC reference
15/WA/0373
Date of REC Opinion
15 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion