FLIP

Fatty liver: Inhibition of Progression

 Partecipanti

Mappa

 Word cloud

Esplora la "nuvola delle parole (Word Cloud) per avere un'idea di massima del progetto.

 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become one of the top concerns for the practising hepatogastroenterologist due to the obesity epidemic and its potential to progress to advanced liver disease which significantly impacts on overall and liver-related mortality. The aim of the FLIP (Fatty Liver: Inhibition of Progression) project is to understand and prevent the progression of liver disease in NAFLD. FLIP is a consortium of basic scientists and practising clinical hepatologists with an established track record and focus on research into the underlying mechanisms and management of patients with NAFLD. Therefore FLIP provides a unique opportunity to assemble the largest European cohort of patients with histologically diagnosed NAFLD with clinical and epidemiological data and with biobanks of DNA, frozen liver tissue and serum. These will be used in a wide range of collaborative inter-disciplinary research projects aimed at addressing key unanswered questions related to the mechanisms and consequences of liver injury in NAFLD and the development of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies. The main outcomes of FLIP will be new insights in the progression of liver disease in NAFLD in terms of initiating mechanisms and patients at risk, innovative diagnostic methods particularly adapted for large-scale screening and prognostic evaluation, improved implementation of lifestyle changes, collaboration with leading biotechnological or pharmaceutical companies in order to translate to the market diagnostic tests or newly identified molecular targets for pharmacological therapy. By disseminating the project’s results, FLIP will further help the European Community to suggest guidelines on the management of this emerging liver disease. The long-term goal is to lay the foundations for the future of NAFLD research in Europe by creating a Collaborative Research Network on NAFLD that will continue the work initiated by the FLIP consortium.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

The increase in obesity over the years has alerted scientists to investigate one of its most serious adverse effects, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Fat deposition in the liver mainly due to obesity causes NASH that resembles alcoholic liver disease. In its most severe form, NASH can lead to liver failure and is a serious cause of liver-associated mortality.

The scope of the EU-funded 'Fatty liver: inhibition of progression' (http://www.flip-fp7.eu/ (FLIP)) project was to understand and prevent the progression of NASH. The consortium brought together leading scientists in the field and clinical hepatologists to study the underlying mechanisms of NASH development and improve patient management.

Among the biggest achievements of the project was the establishment of the largest European database of NASH patients. This includes clinical and epidemiological data as well as biobanks of patient samples. Analysis of this information enabled project partners to identify novel epidemiological and genetic determinants for NASH, both in adults and adolescents. The FLIP consortium performed the largest genetic studies in patients with histologically characterised NASH and identified robust genetic predictors of disease severity.

From a clinical perspective, the FLIP study generated a standardised histological classification that pathologists across Europe can use for diagnosis and staging of NASH. Through the discovery of new serum markers and non-invasive imaging tools, it hopes to improve disease diagnosis and prognosis.

To elucidate the events that drive the onset and progression of NASH, researchers developed a number of new animal models and in vitro culture systems. They unravelled various metabolic, inflammatory and fibrotic factors central for NASH initiation that could also serve as pharmacological targets.

Importantly, the FLIP study laid the foundations for future research in Europe in NASH through the establishment of a European Collaborative Research Network on NASH. Educating the public on the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle and poor nutritional choices on the health of the liver should help reverse this devastating trend. Work on validation of pharmacological targets in NASH should help design effective drug therapy for the most severe patients.