NIMBLE Results Set Stage for Improved Diagnosis, Treatment of Liver Disease
To diagnose metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a leading cause of liver-related mortality, patients must undergo a liver biopsy, a painful and expensive procedure that carries some risk of death for patients. The Biomarkers Consortium’s Noninvasive Biomarkers of Metabolic Liver Disease (NIMBLE) project aims to identify noninvasive blood-based and imaging biomarkers to assess their performance in diagnosing MASH, compared to liver biopsy, and to evaluate their suitability for monitoring treatment response in clinical trials.
By expanding diagnostic options, more healthcare professionals and facilities would be able to diagnose MASH with greater safety, and the use of noninvasive tests may assist enrollment in future studies.
Pathway to Impact
- Four noninvasive blood tests for MASH and advanced liver disease identified for assessment in NIMBLE 2. Study results published in Nature Medicine.
- Six imaging biomarkers shown to have the potential to measure liver fat, fibrosis, and body composition in those at risk for MASH. Study results published in Radiology.
“If these biomarkers had been available to my doctors, I think the potential severity of my condition would’ve been detected much earlier. And it would’ve established data points in my journey where I could have monitored the progression of the disease. I think just knowing the potential outcomes before it became serious, I would’ve done a much better job of changing my lifestyle,” potentially avoiding a liver transplant.
Tony Villiotti, Founder of NASH Knowledge-
Message from Leadership
-
Accelerating New Therapies
-
Advancing Global Health
-
Powering Science
-
People, Facts & Figures
