Metabolic Targeting of Inflammatory Pathways for the Treatment of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and/or chronic kidney disease (CKD) affect more than 5 million Canadians. Progression of CKD is the primary cause of end-stage renal disease while NASH is now the leading cause of liver cirrhosis and liver transplant. Despite their high prevalence and severe impact on morbidity and mortality, current therapies are largely ineffective and do not target the underlying cause of the disease which is inflammation.
inflammatory cells utilize a metabolic process called glycolysis (similar to what is used during a 100 m dash) while anti-inflammatory cells utilize oxidative metabolism (similar to what is used by someone running a marathon). Therefore, shifting cells in the liver and kidney to a more oxidative state may suppress inflammation. This project will help determine how a molecule developed by Espervita Therapeutics suppresses inflammation in NASH and CKD.

Faculty Supervisor:

Gregory Steinberg;Joan Krepinsky

Student:

Jaya Gautam;Marcos Leal

Partner:

Espervita Therapeutics

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

McMaster University