Vik Meadows, PhD

American Liver Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Award
$25,000 over one year

University of Pittsburgh

Bile Duct Integrity is Integral for Gut-Liver Axis Maintenance in Cholestatic Mice

Mentor: Satdarshan (Paul) Monga, MD

Cholangiopathies are rare diseases that damage the lining of the liver’s bile ducts.  FDA-approved treatments are difficult to find due to the complex presentation of these diseases.  Up to 70% of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) patients also develop intestinal inflammation compared to healthy patients and IBD-only patients.  Our research shows that beta-catenin, a regulator for liver health, can be good or bad for cholangiopathies.  We will investigate if loss of beta-catenin in the bile ducts influences intestinal inflammation.  We will also study if intestinal inflammation improves or impairs disease progression in cholangiopathies.