Integrated Pathways of Disease in NASH and NAFLD

Organizer(s): Scott L. Friedman, Arun J. Sanyal, Brent A. Tetri, Mary E. Rinella and Christopher R. Shepard

Sponsored by Gilead Sciences, Inc., Novo Nordisk A/S and Pfizer Inc.

Summary of Meeting:

The global prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has risen precipitously over the past two decades in parallel with the worldwide obesity epidemic; however, there are no approved therapies. The more advanced form of the disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is associated with progressive fibrosis and an increased risk of liver cancer. Despite the growing number of systemic and liver-specific abnormalities identified in patients with NAFLD, a clear hierarchy of the relative importance of specific defects has not emerged. Furthermore, a clear understanding of which individuals are at highest risk for progression to advanced liver disease and cancer remains elusive. Thus, the field lacks an integrated understanding of risk prediction, pathogenesis and validated biomarkers to predict or track disease progression without reliance on liver biopsies. Therefore, the goals of this conference are to: 1) Explore genetic and ethnic contributions to NAFLD development; 2) Clarify underlying pathogenic defects in NAFLD and NASH, focusing on the specific contributions of lipotoxicity, the microbiome, innate immune signaling and drivers of fibrosis; and 3) Highlight emerging prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers that are yielding new, more streamlined clinical trial designs to evaluate novel therapies. As a result of this conference, attendees should gain a more holistic understanding of the unmet needs and new paths to advancing our understanding of NAFLD pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy. The multidisciplinary nature of the topics and speakers promises to generate novel insights that represent convergent expertise and opinion. In doing so, new paradigms are likely to emerge that greatly inform the expanding number of emerging diagnostic markers and therapeutic agents. The conference comes at a propitious time when there is already sufficient basic translational and clinical research to extract important new insights, focus on unmet needs and refine research strategies for the future.

Scholarship Deadline: October 16 2018

Discounted Abstract Deadline: October 16 2018

Abstract Deadline: October 24 2018

Discounted Registration Deadline: November 27 2018

Keystone Symposia thanks our Sponsor(s) for generously supporting this meeting:

We gratefully acknowledge additional support from these exhibitors at this conference:

We gratefully acknowledge additional support for this conference from:

We gratefully acknowledge additional in-kind support for this conference from those foregoing speaker expense reimbursements:

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research

We gratefully acknowledge the generous grant for this conference provided by:

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Grant No. 1 R13 DK118909-01
Funding for this conference was made possible (in part) by 1 R13 DK118909-01 from NIDDK at the National Institutes of Health. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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