A study of molecules from the gut (chemokines) and their role in the development of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease or Colorectal Cancer
Study code
CBR90
Lead researcher
Dr.Gideon Hirschfield
Study type
Participant re-contact
Institution or company
University of Birmingham
Researcher type
Academic
Speciality area
Liver
Recruitment Site
Cambridge
Summary
Our research focuses on the immunobiology of the chronic liver disease Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), particularly on the biology of liver immune cells and how they may contribute to the disease development, establishment and/or progression in genetically susceptible individuals.
PSC is a chronic liver autoimmune disease with no current medical treatment. Recent genome wide association studies have identified specific genes associated with this disease, but no functional role of these genes has been yet reported.
We aim to understand how these genes play a role in PSC pathogenesis and whether these effects are only observed in individuals that carry the genetically susceptible polymorphisms. Therefore, we seek to study healthy individuals with the risk variants in order to prove whether there is any genetic association.