###Development and application of an in-silico model of liver function in health and disease.
Project ID: 2228bd1002 (You will need this ID for your application)
Research Theme: Healthcare Technologies
UCL Lead department: Division of Medicine
Lead Supervisor: Nathan Davies
Project Summary:
Liver disease is a complex, multifactorial spectrum of conditions that can vary in scope and progression depending on the underlying cause. There are numerous potential benefits to the successful development of a robust, representative computer (in silico) model of liver metabolism and function. In addition to the ability to identify novel intervention points and model scenarios charting the development of pathophysiological disease processes, it would also be possible to assess the potential impact of new therapies prior to conducting animal studies, thus addressing a key ethical area. This project aims to build on two previously successful PhD studentships supervised by Prof’s Bogle and Davies that have developed representative in silico models of liver function addressing the dysregulated metabolism of lipids (short and medium chain fatty acids) and simple sugars (fructose and glucose), supported by laboratory based experimental studies. These projects have used a systems biology approach to build upon existing UCL computational liver studies and expand the scope of prior models to incorporate cellular zonation, blood flow and the initiation of recognised disease processes. Within the next project we aim to further develop these themes and incorporate the effects of inflammatory processes to effectively represent the pathology of liver disease. Inflammation is a key factor to model in the development of cellular damage, cell death and the subsequent restructuring of tissue architecture (cirrhosis). Effective modelling of these processes will substantially aid our understanding of the pathophysiology that results as a consequence of liver injury. The models represent real-world issues that relate to the continuing obesity epidemic, which is intrinsically associated with over consumption of fats and sugars that directly impact liver function. This truly represents a cross disciplinary study in which requires development of computer-based skills in addition to biochemical techniques and potentially learning additional in vivo experimental methodologies.