L’appel à projets « Fonds de la Relève » vise à offrir des fonds d’opération qui faciliteront le démarrage de nouveaux projets de recherche de nos jeunes chercheuses et chercheurs.

Voici le résumé du projet de M. Al Batran, professeur adjoint :

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition where excess fat accumulates in the liver of an individual without a history of alcohol abuse. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a severe form of NAFLD in which the liver becomes inflamed. Despite being potentially severe, the exact mechanisms are not fully understood and there are no specific FDA approved therapies to treat NAFLD and/or NASH. There is an unmet need to identify and/or develop agents that reduce liver fat accumulation in NAFLD and NASH patients. In this regard, empagliflozin (EMPA) has emerged as a promising new class of glucose-lowering drugs for the management of type 2 diabetes. Thus, identifying the mechanism(s) of action by which EMPA treatment alleviates NAFLD and NASH will not only contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of NAFLD/NASH, but may also have a significant clinical implication that may indicate it as the ideal therapy for these diseases.