Clinical Research Directory

Fully Automated High-Throughput Quantitative MRI of the Liver

The purpose of this research is to see if a new automated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method will be able to improve the images taken of the liver. Participants will have either known or suspected liver disease, known or suspected iron overload syndrome, or be a healthy adult. Participants will be in the research study for one day.

Intermittent Fasting for NAFLD in Adults

NAFLD is a growing threat to public health. Currently, there is a significant need for highly effective treatments for NAFLD. Non-obese NAFLD (BMI\<30kg/m2) is an increasingly recognized condition, sometimes described as "lean NAFLD". Intermittent Fasting (IF) may be uniquely beneficial in non-obese NAFLD. The purpose of this study is to identify non-pharmacologic, lifestyle-based methods of NAFLD treatment within non-obese adults.

Effect of Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty in Patients With Obesity and MASH: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common chronic liver disease globally. While weight loss through lifestyle modification is the standard treatment, most patients regain weight limiting ultimate improvement in liver disease. On the other end of the spectrum, bariatric surgery has shown promise in the treatment of MASLD/metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) due to its efficacy in inducing weight loss. Nevertheless, its adoption has been hindered by the perceived invasiveness of surgery. Over the past decade, endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) has gained recognition as a promising minimally-invasive approach to weight loss. The procedure involves utilizing a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized endoscopic suturing device to reduce the gastric volume by 70%. Studies reveal that ESG is associated with approximately 18.2% weight loss at one year after the procedure, with sustained results for at least 10 years. Nevertheless, the effect of ESG on MASH remains unknown. In this study, the investigators will compare ESG + lifestyle modification versus lifestyle modification alone in treating histologic MASH. The study will randomize patients to one of two different treatment options: ESG + lifestyle modification or lifestyle modification alone.

Evaluation of Non-Invasive Tests for Metabolic Liver Disease

The Non-Invasive Biomarkers for Metabolic Liver Disease (NIMBLE) study is a comprehensive, multi-year collaborative effort to standardize, validate and advance the regulatory qualification of blood- and imaging-based biomarkers to diagnose and stage Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), previously known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). MASH is characterized by liver inflammation accompanied by simultaneous fat accumulation in the liver.

Effect of Erugliflozin On Liver Fat, Liver Fibrosis and Glycemic Control in Type II DM Patients With NASH/NAFLD

Open-label, prospective, single-arm, multicenter study to determine effects of Ertugliflozin on liver fat, liver fibrosis \& glycemic control in subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)/Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

Short-term Fat Overfeeding on the Effects of Liver Metabolism

Despite work showing the overconsumption of saturated fatty acids (SFA) to be metabolically deleterious, debate continues about whether there is a link between SFA and cardiovascular disease risk. To explore this, we are undertaking a human in vivo parallel-design study, comparing two isocaloric high-fat diets; one enriched with SFA and the other enriched with unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), to determine the impact of dietary fat composition on postprandial metabolism, liver fat, cardiac fat and cardiac function.