Research Projects
The Foundation funds research within its own purpose-built research centre, the Institute of Hepatology in central London.
In July 2010 the Foundation decided to re-focus its funding upon basic, laboratory based scientific research. We are now developing new research programmes in the following areas:-
- Liver Cell Injury
- Liver Metabolism and Inflammation
- Liver Sepsis
- The Genetics of Liver Disease
- Metabonomic and Proteomic Studies
We will also be continuing with our research programmes in Viral Hepatitis B and C, and Liver Cancer (see below).
Between 1997 and June 2010 the research undertaken at the Institute focused on six main areas of liver disease:
- Viral hepatitis Clinical trials of antiviral therapy for hepatitis B and C including co-infection with HIVand on the laboratory side, the immunology and cell biology of host-virus inter-relationships.
- Liver Failure Studies on hepatorenal syndrome and other complications of cirrhosis including the development of new chemical treatments for hepatic encephalopathy and studies on minor neuropsychiatric derangements that arise from even minimal changes in daily activities. The Foundation has also also has a major interest in the development of liver support devices, both artificial and bio-artificial. Another area of investigation has been the susceptibility of liver patients to recurrent infections.
- Nutritional aspects of chronic liver disease Including inter-relationships with insulin resistance and energy expenditure and new investigations with first and second hit hypotheses underlying fatty liver disease and progression to cirrhosis.
- Alcohol and liver disease The Foundation has investigated new approaches to treatment of acute alcoholic hepatitis based on monoclonal antibodies and other agents blocking the effects of TNF release. There have also been human experimental studies of the cellular mechanisms involved in liver damage including in the rise of portal pressure.
- Liver cancers Foundation funded researchers have looked at immune responses in primary hepatocellular carcinoma and new photodynamic therapies for bile duct cancer; clinical trials of embolisation and chemoembolisation in primary liver tumours, along with investigations into new vascular endothelial receptor antagonists.
- Liver transplantation Experimental studies on ischaemic reperfusion injury in cadaver liver and its prevention by preconditioning. In a Living Donor Liver Transplantation programme, studies on functional regeneration in the donor and long term outcome of recipients.
Staff of the Institute have also been involved in a number of collaborative clinical projects and in the only UK programme for adult to adult living donor liver transplantation.
