DEMISTIFI - Existing cohorts
Research type
Research Study
Full title
DEfining MechanIsms Shared across mulTI-organ FIbrosis to prevent the development of long-term multi-morbidity across existing single organ fibrosis cohorts
IRAS ID
296879
Contact name
Guruprasad Aithal
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
9 years, 6 months, 27 days
Research summary
Organ fibrosis (thickening or scarring) of an organ eg liver fibrosis, accounts for an estimated one third of all deaths world-wide. It is associated with ageing and metabolic abnormalities that occur in response to a range of known and unknown genetic and environmental factors. Understanding shared processes of disease development, especially in early disease, may identify shared clusters of disease that will respond to lifestyle modification or repurposing of available treatments. Common genetic, environmental, lifestyle and socioeconomic factors, or biological pathways that link these mechanistic clusters are not readily recognised by conventional approaches. Focusing on the mechanistic basis of a biological process such as fibrosis offers a unique opportunity to recognise early disease, identify disrupted mechanisms and repurpose drugs that have a disease specific indication to target the underlying pathological process.
This project will identify potential participants from existing REC approved single organ cohorts to identify any cases of multi-organ (≥2 organ fibrosis). Any participant identified as having ≥2 organ involvement, still alive and where the study ethical permission permits will be invited to attend an optional single study visit to provide up to date clinical information and samples for subsequent analysis (including genetics if not already held). Anonymised data will be shared within the DEMISTIFI consortium (including commercial partners)
The Consortium vision is to identify clusters of multi-organ fibrosis with common pathogenic mechanisms underlying a range of fibrotic diseases, termed Fibrotic Multi-Morbidity (FMM), that will benefit from shared management strategies, reducing the burden of treatment through therapeutic rationalisation, early identification of secondary organ involvement, and appropriate risk reduction strategies to increase the health-span of this group of patients
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/NE/0125
Date of REC Opinion
19 Jul 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion