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How did we do?
Taking liver care and research further
We continued to fund world-leading research by
King’s clinicians, supporting their determination
to unlock the secrets of liver disease, pioneer
methods to save lives and improve the quality of
life for children, young people and adults.
Powered by philanthropy, these vital studies are
driving innovation that keeps care advancing.
Finding new ways to tackle paediatric
liver disease
Every day, thanks to the generosity of our supporters
and donors, scientists at the world-renowned
MowatLabs are expanding our understanding of
liver disease. Several studies that we are funding focus
on biliary atresia – a rare condition, occurring in babies
and young children, in which the bile ducts inside and
outside the liver become scarred and blocked.
Postdoctoral researcher, Dr Jessica Nulty is
investigating the possibility of using transplanted
mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to suppress the
body’s immune response to the condition, minimise
inflammation and prevent liver scarring. MSCs have
been used to treat multiple diseases and Jessica now
plans to run a clinical trial to test their effectiveness
against biliary atresia. This could be a game-changing
treatment for young patients that could help
delay – or potentially avoid – the need for
a liver transplant.
This research complements that of PHD student Megan
Earl, whose research we funded earlier and is now
starting to bear fruit. Megan’s research is providing
new insights into the effects of liver disease on brain
development. Her studies have shown that infants
and children with biliary atresia show lower levels
of development in areas such as communication,
socialisation and motor skills. This could suggest that
development is affected by toxins released into the
bloodstream by a damaged liver. Megan’s findings will
be used to help King’s develop future treatments to
improve quality of life for these young patients.
Postdoctoral researcher Dr Jessica Nulty
is investigating a potentially game-changing
treatment for young patients that could delay, or
even avoid, the need for liver transplantation.
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S U P P O R T K I N G S .O R G .U K
Innovative developments in liver
transplantation
The globally renowned Institute of Liver Studies at King’s
is committed to developing ways to make transplanted
livers last longer and make more livers suitable for
transplant. Machine perfusion could be the key to these
advances and, thanks to our funding, PhD student Marwa
Elgosbi is continuing her studies into this potentially
transformative innovation.
Funded by former King’s patient Ralph Smith, Marwa
is testing the impact of introducing MSCs to liver tissue
during machine perfusion – a method of preserving
and reviving the liver by passing oxygenated fluid and
nutrients through the organ before transplantation.
These cells could help decrease inflammation in livers
prior to transplantation and stop the patient’s immune
system from attacking the transplanted organ, thus
reducing the risk of liver failure or rejection.
