We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Noninvasive Biomarker Tests Could Eliminate Painful Liver Biopsies

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 08 Sep 2023

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), previously known as NASH, is a severe illness. More...

Once the liver begins to scar, the risk of cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death significantly increases. Unfortunately, symptoms of MASH often do not appear until the disease reaches its advanced stages, typically when cirrhosis has developed. Currently, the sole method to diagnose MASH in patients is through liver biopsies. However, this approach offers insights from only a small portion of the liver and fails to provide an accurate overall assessment of the patient's condition. Liver biopsies are also painful, invasive, and expensive for patients. Despite some companies developing blood and imaging biomarker tests, none have met the stringent requirements for FDA regulatory approval. Now, a consortium dedicated to investigating noninvasive tests for liver disease has achieved a significant milestone by demonstrating the effectiveness of five such tests, moving closer to regulatory approval.

The research to evaluate blood and imaging biomarker tests for liver disease is part of NIMBLE – the Noninvasive Biomarkers of Metabolic Liver Disease project – was led by the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU, Richmond, VA, USA). The NIMBLE biomarker tests were rigorously compared to established measures, including the FIB-4 index used to assess liver health. Any biomarker test that matched or exceeded the performance of existing lab tests was assessed for its potential use in diagnosing MASH and related conditions. Over 1,000 patients participated in this research. These five biomarker tests hold promise for diagnosing MASH and related conditions, providing a noninvasive alternative to liver biopsies. This development is expected to encourage patient participation in future clinical trials, which would otherwise necessitate invasive liver biopsies. Additionally, the use of noninvasive blood tests could significantly reduce the cost of conducting such studies, thus fostering greater interest in drug development. Equally important, these tests could be easily administered in a doctor's office.

“This brings us a step closer to having simple blood-based tests that can be ordered virtually in any clinical setting and will provide access to care to patients,” said Arun Sanyal, M.D., a professor at the VCU School of Medicine. “Such a step will facilitate our ability to identify those most at risk of outcomes and target them for therapy. It will also serve as a foundation for prognostic, disease monitoring and treatment-response biomarker development.”

Related Links:
VCU 


Gold Member
Veterinary Hematology Analyzer
Exigo H400
3-Part Differential Hematology Analyzer
Swelab Alfa Plus Sampler
New
Pan-Cancer Panel
TruSight Oncology 500
New
Host Response Immunoassay Test
MeMed BV
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








DIASOURCE (A Biovendor Company)

Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: CitoCBC is the world first cartridge-based CBC to be granted CLIA Waived status by FDA (Photo courtesy of CytoChip)

Disposable Cartridge-Based Test Delivers Rapid and Accurate CBC Results

Complete Blood Count (CBC) is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests, crucial for diagnosing diseases, monitoring therapies, and conducting routine health screenings. However, more than 90% of physician... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: A simple blood test could replace surgical biopsies for early detecion of heart transplant rejection (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Blood Test Detects Organ Rejection in Heart Transplant Patients

Following a heart transplant, patients are required to undergo surgical biopsies so that physicians can assess the possibility of organ rejection. Rejection happens when the recipient’s immune system identifies... Read more

Pathology

view channel
These images illustrate how precision oncology Organ Chips recapitulate individual patients’ responses to chemotherapy (Photo courtesy of Wyss Institute at Harvard University)

Cancer Chip Accurately Predicts Patient-Specific Chemotherapy Response

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), one of the two primary types of esophageal cancer, ranks as the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and currently lacks effective targeted therapies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.