Grant: Operating Grant-PA: INMD Start Up Funds (bridge funding) - New Investigators

Fatty liver disease affects one third of the population of North America. The disease has few symptoms, but over time leads to irreversible damage to the liver. Having a fatty liver not only increases the chance of liver failure, but also of developing other diseases such as diabetes and heart problems. Diets high in fat and sugar and low physical activity, leading to obesity, contribute to the rising number of cases, particularly in children. It is believed that children with fatty liver disease will face significant and chronic health problems in the future if not treated early on. There is no cure for the disease and diagnosis is difficult, mainly because we do not understand what triggers it. We have shown that low levels of a protein called PGC-1alpha in liver may cause or worsen fatty liver disease and our new studies will help to understand how this happens. Identifying the cause of fatty liver disease will help to discover ways to diagnosis patients early and to design more effective treatments.