# Colorado Center of Childhood Liver Disease Research Network

> **NIH NIH U01** · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · 2021 · $631,501

## Abstract

Project Summary
Cholestatic liver diseases are among the most important liver disorders that occur in infants and children,
leading to devastating morbidity and accounting for over 70% of liver transplants performed during childhood,
thus posing a major public health burden. Although major advances in genetics of these disorders have been
made over the past decade, few therapeutic options are available. Investigation of these disorders promises to
advance scientific knowledge about hepatobiliary development, hepatocyte transporters, cholangiocyte
biology, genetic regulatory networks, the neonatal immune response and mechanisms of injury, as well as the
discovery of biomarkers of disease and testing of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. With the advent of
next generation sequencing and genomics/epigenomics, disease modeling mathematical paradigms and a
pipeline of new potential therapies, the immediate translational impact of research in these disorders has never
been greater. The 9 cholestatic disorders of the Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (ChiLDReN) have
been studied in multi-centered research consortia at our Center for the past 15 years, during the last 10 years
within ChiLDReN. Members of our Clinical Center at the University of Colorado Denver and Children’s Hospital
Colorado have played major leadership roles as the Chair of the Steering and Executive Committees of
ChiLDReN, the Chair for the CFLD studies, and Chairs of three protocols, among other roles. The objectives
of this grant application in response to NIH RFA-DK-18-501 are to be chosen to be an active, collaborative
and productive Clinical Center in the next version of ChiLDReN; to continue to enroll participants and
complete, analyze and publish all of the ChiLDReN study protocols; to be an active participant in all new
investigations, protocols and clinical trials initiated by the Network; to develop and propose new clinical and
translational studies and ancillary studies that will utilize existing data and biospecimens as illustrated by our
Pilot Clinical & Feasibility Trial and Scientific Translational Strategy; to maintain leadership roles and
Administrative Functions of ChiLDReN and the CFLD network; and to continue to provide PFIC/BRIC/ALGS
Genotyping and Respiratory Chain Analysis expertise and services. Our Scientific Research Plan will propose
a Pilot & Feasibility Clinical Trial comparing the effect of two intravenous lipid emulsions on liver function in
children with biliary atresia and malnutrition who require parenteral nutrition. We will also propose a
Translational Science Plan that investigates the crosstalk of activated neutrophils and hepatic stellate cells in
the pathogenesis of biliary atresia using specimens from participants in PROBE and BASIC. In this way, our
Clinical Center will enhance and build on the ChiLDReN goals of promoting clinical and translational research
on pediatric liver diseases focusing upon elucidating the pathogenesis a...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10200014
- **Project number:** 5U01DK062453-20
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER
- **Principal Investigator:** RONALD J. SOKOL
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $631,501
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2002-09-15 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10200014

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10200014, Colorado Center of Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (5U01DK062453-20). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10200014. Licensed CC0.

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