Project description
Liver cirrhosis prevention
Liver cirrhosis is late-stage liver fibrosis (scarring) caused by liver diseases or conditions such as hepatitis B or C virus infection, obesity, type-2 diabetes mellitus or chronic alcoholism. There is no treatment to reverse advanced liver cirrhosis; it is always preceded by slowly developing, asymptomatic, liver fibrosis. Early diagnosis of liver fibrosis is crucial for the estimated 10 million Europeans with the undetected disease. The EU-funded LiverScreen project aims to develop a novel screening approach to identify asymptomatic liver fibrosis and cirrhosis among the general population. Researchers will identify groups at high risk of chronic liver disease and screen their liver stiffness with the innovative transient elastography technology. The 8 collaborating European countries will use 34 000 subjects to develop the screening and demonstrate its accuracy, clinical value, cost-effectiveness, acceptability and implementation potential.
Objective
Liver cirrhosis is a very common and severe chronic disease, responsible for high morbidity, impaired quality of life, major healthcare costs, and poor survival, causing an estimated 170,000 deaths per year in Europe. Liver cirrhosis is preceded by a long period of slowly developing, asymptomatic, liver fibrosis; most commonly caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, related to obesity and type 2 diabetes), alcohol, and hepatitis B or C virus infection. There is no treatment available to reverse advanced liver cirrhosis. However, if fibrosis could be detected early, all of the major causes are still amenable to prevention and treatment. Early diagnosis of liver fibrosis in the general population is therefore crucial for the estimated 10 million Europeans with undetected liver fibrosis.
The LiverScreen project aims to develop a targeted screening methodology to identify persons with asymptomatic liver fibrosis and cirrhosis among the general population. This methodology involves: 1) identification of groups from the general population at high risk of having chronic liver disease, 2) screening their liver stiffness with the innovative transient elastography (TE) technology (until now only validated in patients with known liver disease) for diagnosis, and 3) determining the right follow-up screening regime. Within the LiverScreen project 8 European countries will collaborate and perform research in over 34,000 subjects to develop the screening methodology and demonstrate its accuracy, clinical value, cost-effectiveness, acceptability, and potential to be implemented by healthcare systems throughout Europe.
Using the LiverScreen program, diagnosis at an early stage can stop liver disease progression and have a subsequent long-term impact on liver disease morbidity and mortality and the associated societal burdens in terms of economic costs and health inequity. The estimated cost reduction ranges from €850 to €4,000 per quality-adjusted life-year gained.
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RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
08036 Barcelona
Spain
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Participants (23)
Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
08036 Barcelona
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75012 Paris
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66123 Saarbrucken
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35128 Padova
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08007 Barcelona
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
08007 Barcelona
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7100 Vejle
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NG7 2RD Nottingham
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3015 GD Rotterdam
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55131 Mainz
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Participation ended
08002 Barcelona
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1050 Bruxelles / Brussel
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1203 Geneve
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75014 Paris
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08003 Barcelona
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WC1E 6BT London
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10000 ZAGREB
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
10000 Zagreb
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08034 Barcelona
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08028 Barcelona
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
53100 Siena
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
8006 Zurich
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30625 Hannover
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