liver disease

AI-Powered ‘Digital Twins’ Predict Liver Donors’ Futures

IRP Study Shows Potential of Machine Learning Algorithms in Personalized Medicine

man facing his computer-generated twin

Despite the potential drawbacks of time travel demonstrated in countless sci-fi movies, most people wouldn’t mind some advice from their future self. What they might not think about is how useful their doppelganger’s knowledge of the future could be to their doctor. IRP researchers hope an AI-powered computer model they’ve developed could provide those kinds of predictive medical insights for people recovering after donating a portion of their liver to someone in need of a transplant.

Double Trouble for Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease

IRP Researchers Identify Two Types of Liver Damage and a Possible Treatment for One

fatty liver

While alcohol is a source of celebration and relaxation for many, it does come with significant drawbacks, especially when people over-consume it. For people who have trouble controlling their alcohol consumption — a condition called alcohol use disorder (AUD) — one of the most dangerous consequences can be damage to the liver, the organ that filters toxins like alcohol out of the blood.

In honor of Alcohol Awareness Month this April, I spoke with IRP senior investigator Bin Gao, M.D., Ph.D., about his quest to understand how AUD damages the liver and other organs by uncovering the molecules and mechanisms involved in that damage. His IRP lab also investigates how alcohol is processed in the body, producing insights that could be used to identify strategies for reducing alcohol consumption or reversing alcohol’s harmful effects.

Scientific Detour Advances Understanding of Fatty Liver Disease

IRP Study Suggests a Way to Prevent Unhealthy Fat Buildup

liver

Many important scientific discoveries happen when a scientist stumbles across something curious and decides to investigate further. Alexander Fleming, for example, famously discovered penicillin by examining mold that grew in one of his petri dishes while he was away on vacation. A recent IRP study spurred by a similarly unexpected observation could eventually lead to a method of preventing or reversing unhealthy amounts of fat storage in the liver.

Four NIH IRP Researchers Elected to National Academy of Medicine

NIH National Academy of Medicine 2016

This year, members of the National Academy of Medicine elected four NIH Intramural researchers to their ranks, one of the highest honors in science. Learn a bit about each of their research and follow the links to their IRP profiles for more information.