Hepatobiology and Toxicology COBRE

About This Grant

The University of Louisville (UofL) Phase III Hepatobiology and Toxicology (H&T) COBRE is a unique thematic center focused on liver research. The UofL H&T COBRE concentrates on the mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for multiple forms of liver disease/injury, including: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease—the most common liver disease in the US/worldwide, and is highly linked to the metabolic syndrome; Alcohol-associated Liver Disease—a common problem among those who drink; Environmental Toxicant Induced Liver Injury—an increasingly recognized problem, and Louisville has been a leader in this area; Hepatitis B and C—important causes of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide; Personalized Medicine—an increasingly important factor in medication efficacy, and most drugs are metabolized in the liver; and Drug-Induced Liver Injury—the most common reason drugs are removed from the market. This COBRE brings together experienced senior mentors/investigators and promising junior investigators to perform cross- cutting research on the unique topics of Hepatobiology and Toxicology that adversely impact the health of Kentuckians and Americans. We address critical barriers in our understanding of the development/ progression of liver disease and we define targets for prevention/treatment that could transform clinical practice. Specific Aims of the Phase III Hepatobiology and Toxicology COBRE are to: 1. Expand and strengthen a thematically-focused program in Hepatobiology and Toxicology created in Phase I/II that helps build and sustain the overall research infrastructure at UofL. 2. Solidify infrastructure through streamlined, sustainable cores that provide necessary research resources and translational science/basic technologies to support state-of-the-art research in Hepatobiology and Toxicology 3. Expand and strengthen both a pilot program in H&T that explores new concepts and approaches and a multidisciplinary program in mentoring and career development. 4. Discover new mechanisms/molecular targets and effective means for preventing and/or treating liver diseases/toxicant exposures and communicate our findings to the public. In summary, this Phase III application builds on a highly successful Phase I/II H&T COBRE that has and will continue to increase capacity and sustainability in a unique topic to the COBRE program. The problem of liver diseases and environmental toxicity is highly relevant to Kentuckians and a focus of the UofL Strategic Plan. Seven of nine graduated RPLs obtained R01-type funding and all have been promoted and remain in academics. All of our PPLs also obtained some type of NIH/external research funding. We have been national leaders in liver disease and environmental toxicity. We interact closely with other IDeA entities and NIH-funded centers at UofL. The University has and will continue to invest in this program. This Phase III will provide resources for building capacity, infrastructure and sustainability.