A Systems Medicine Approach to Early Detection and Prevention of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Liver cancer, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), will rise sharply over the next ten years due to the obesity pandemic and the increase in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Already 30% of the world’s population is affected, and MASLD can lead to steatohepatitis (MASH), liver cirrhosis and HCC. It is striking that a third of MASLD-associated HCC develops in non-cirrhotic tissue and is often discovered late.
In Germany, around 10,000 people develop MASLD-related HCC every year, often preventable through early detection. Men have a higher risk, but the causes are unclear. Strategies for early detection and assessment of liver regeneration in MASLD patients are crucial to enable curative surgery, reduce mortality and reduce the need for transplants.
The SMART-NAFLD project uses systems medicine approaches and technologies such as dynamic pathway models, proteomics, metabolomics and neural networks to model metabolic networks, improve prevention and offer patients a better chance of recovery.
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Project Leader Dr. Höhme, IZBI
Scientific Assistant Dr. Stefan Höhme, Deng Zhipeng, Marlene Mertens, Quasim Siddigui
Duration 01.07.2024 – 30.06.2027
Extern Projekt Webseite https://www.hoehme.com
Funding third-party funding