Lysosomes in motion: early non-invasive biomarkers for the detection of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Currently, little is known about the risk factors driving obesity-associated liver inflammation (referred to as NASH), and non-invasive biomarkers to detect this global health threat are non-existent. By means of a strong, unique collaboration between three Dutch academic medical centres (MUMC+, UMCG, AMC), Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Allergan (clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company) and Echosens (leading provider of non-invasive imaging devices), this project will identify novel, non-invasive blood markers to early detect NASH. All consortium partners are leading pioneers in the fields of hepatology, lipid metabolism and imaging, and are fully dedicated to performing clinical research in NASH.

Whereas most of the obese patients only have simple lipid accumulation in the liver, up to one-third is affected with NASH. In Western countries, NASH is becoming increasingly prevalent and is even seen in children. If left untreated, it can further progress to end-stage liver diseases, and, ultimately liver failure, underlining the need for liver transplantations. Therefore, this project aims at translating previous preclinical data into the clinic in order to decrease the long-term burden of NASH to society.

The implementation of novel, non-invasive biomarkers as diagnostic tools for NASH will not only reduce the need for liver biopsies, but also reduce the discomfort and complications for the patient as well as the time until diagnosis. Furthermore, it allows for the possibility to perform repeated measurements, enabling accurate monitoring of disease progression. It will also substantially improve our knowledge on the pathogenesis of NASH, thereby contributing to early prevention and future therapy for NASH. As such, successful completion of this project is expected to have high economic impact.

Altogether, the identification of specific, non-invasive biomarkers in combination with a non-invasive imaging device will allow us to earlier detect NASH and to better monitor disease progression both in adults and in children.