Risk stratification using non-invasive liver stiffness surveillance and collagen proportionate areas

Abstract

Unlike other organs in the human body, the liver is able to regenerate, replacing and repairing damaged tissue and leaving no scar tissue. However, when a liver is repeatedly damaged, liver fibrosis can occur and large amounts of scar tissue are formed. Scarring of the liver caused by long-term liver damage is called cirrhosis and this is a major cause of death around the world. It's important that liver fibrosis can be assessed in patients using non invasive methods, which are of course preferable to invasive methods. The goal of the research of Associate Professor Sheng-Hung Chen, Center for Digestive Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taiwan, is to help improve the effectiveness of treatments and outcomes for a range of diseases, including hepatitis. He is working to conduct risk stratification using non-invasive liver stiffness and collagen proportionate areas. Liver fibrosis monitoring over time is a critical issue and the development of non-invasive methods for liver fibrosis monitoring as well as other ways of understanding the condition of a patient's liver could facilitate the prognostics and save lives. Chen and the team are seeking to predict liver-related events over time by working on the concurrent kinetics in clinical aspects, paired or serial liver histology, blood test-based results and stiffness measurement.