Hepatology Research Group

Dedicated to improving the understanding and treatment of liver disease
Hepatology Research Group

The hepatology research group (HRG) is an integral part of the Institute of Health and Care Research: infection, immunity and inflammation.

We utilise state of the art laboratory facilities based in the Derriford Research Facility, and the world class clinical research strengths of the Faculty of Health and Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust (PHNT).

We work in unison with the South West Liver Unit, at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, providing a full range and secondary, tertiary and community Hepatology services to the South West region, including assessment for liver transplantation, TIPS and liver cancer therapy.

The research team run several commercially sponsored clinical trials in hepatitis C therapy, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), primary biliary cholangiopathy (PBC), alcoholic liver disease and liver failure amongst others, through the clinical research facilities of The Lind Research Centre at Derriford Hospital.

Hepatology Research Group Annual Reports

The broad themes of the hepatology research group are:

Hepatology research areas

  • Hepatitis C resistance

  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

  • Alcohol-related hepatitis

  • Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma)

Hepatology Research Group on Twitter

Publications:

Dhanda AD, Williams EW, Yates E, Lait PJP, Schewitz-Bowers LP, Hegazy D, Cramp ME, Collins PL, Lee RWJ, Intermediate monocytes in acute alcoholic hepatitis are functionally activated and induce IL-17 expression in CD4+ T cells, Journal of Immunology 2019 Dec 15:203(12):3190-3198

Unacceptable failures: the final report of the Lancet Commission into liver disease in the UK.
Williams R, Aithal G, Alexander GJ, Allison M, Armstrong I, Aspinall R, Baker A, Battercham R, Brown K, Burton R, Cramp ME, Day N, Dhawan A, Drummond C, Ferguson J, Foster G, Gilmore I, Greenberg J, Henn C, Jarvis H, Kelly D, Mathews M, McCloud A, MacGilchrist A, McKee M, Moriarty K, Morling J, Newsome P, Rice P, Roberts S, Rutter H, Samyn M, Severi K, Sheron N, Thorburn D, Verne J, Vohra J, Williams J, Yeoman A.
Lancet 2020 Jan 18:395(10219):226-239. Epub 2019 Nov 29

A Variant in the MICA gene is associated with liver fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis C through TGF-beta1 dependent mechanisms. Sharkawy RE, Bayoumi A, Metwally M, Mangia A, Berg T, Romero-Gomez M, Abate ML, Irving WL, Sheridan D, Dore GJ, Spengler U, Lampertico P, Bugianesi E, Weltman M, Mollison L, Cheng W, Riordan S, Santoro R, Gallego-Duran R, Thabet K, Najim MAM, Douglas MW, Liddle C, Qiao L, George J, Eslam M, International Liver Disease Genetics Consortium (ILDGC).
Sci Rep. 2019 Feb 5;9(1):1439.

Accuracy of FibroScan Controlled Attenuation Parameter and Liver Stiffness Measurement in Assessing Steatosis and Fibrosis in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
Eddowes PJ, Sasso M, Allison M, Tsochatzis E, Anstee QM, Sheridan D, Guha IN, Cobbold JF, Deeks JJ, Paradis V, Bedossa P, Newsome PN.
Gastroenterology 2019 Jan 25: S0016-5085(19)30105-2.

Contributing to the fight against coronavirus

"Led by Honorary Associate Professor in Hepatology Dr Ashwin Dhanda and Professor Matthew Cramp, the Immune Biomarkers of Outcome from COVID-19 (IBOC) study is analysing the differing immune responses of COVID-19 patients and working to develop a simple test that could help predict who is likely to develop serious illness.”

Read the Press release

Hepatology research team

Meet the Hepatology research team:

  • Dr Huey Tan – PhD Student
  • Paula Boeira – PhD Student & Research Technician

Minimising Mortality from Alcoholic Hepatitis

Plymouth is now an active recruitment site part of the national MRC funded consortium aiming to minimise death from alcoholic hepatitis (MICAH).

Led by Dr Ashwin Dhanda the group is validating a novel bioassay to measure response to glucocorticoid (steroid) therapy.

Find out more about the project

OPINION - The escalating cost of alcohol misuse, obesity and viral hepatitis

"Liver disease has become one of the most common causes of premature death in the UK, with a cost not just in lives but also to health services and society."

Read the full article from Matthew Cramp

Related research