# Limited Competition for the Continuation of the Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (ChilLDRen) Clinical Centers.

> **NIH NIH U01** · CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF LOS ANGELES · 2021 · $287,292

## Abstract

Albeit each is relatively rare, congenital cholestatic liver diseases collectively impact pediatric
health significantly. Amongst them, biliary atresia (BA) is the most common cause of pediatric
end-stage liver disease and the leading indication for pediatric liver transplantation. The
Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (ChiLDReN) was established in 2009 to expand the
scope of the Biliary Atresia Research Consortium to study numerous rare congenital cholestatic
liver diseases including Alagille syndrome, Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis, a1-
Antitrypsin Deficiency, Mitochodrial Hepatopathies, and Bile Salt Synthesis Defects. Since then,
numerous high impact observations have been reported by the NIDDK-funded consortium.
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis is currently being added as a disease of focus by the network.
The Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) clinical research center has been very active in all
aspects of the network’s efforts. In this application, we restate our commitment to improve the
clinical outcomes of patients with congenital liver diseases. The overall objectives of this
application are to impact survival of children with rare liver diseases via (1) the enrollment of
subjects into the various clinical studies and trials within the ChiLDREN consortium and (2) a
translational ancillary study focused on CoQ10, as a biomarker of liver fibrosis. The central
hypothesis of objective #2 is that serum levels of CoQ10 correlate with extent of liver fibrosis. This
project is innovative because (1) CHLA has the only Principal Investigator who is a pediatric
surgeon, thus providing surgical insight and perspective for a Steering Committee otherwise
comprised of pediatric hepatologists and (2) CoQ10 is a novel potential biomarker for liver fibrosis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10201577
- **Project number:** 5U01DK084538-13
- **Recipient organization:** CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** KASPER SAONUN WANG
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $287,292
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2009-09-10 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10201577

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10201577, Limited Competition for the Continuation of the Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (ChilLDRen) Clinical Centers. (5U01DK084538-13). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10201577. Licensed CC0.

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