The liver performs over 500 functions and is vulnerable to more than 100 different diseases. That means there can often be more questions than there are answers for newly diagnosed patients, their families, health care professionals and even those just looking to learn more about how to protect their liver health. CLF staff and volunteers provide much-needed guidance and support through education and prevention programs such as toll-free help lines, patient support networks, health fairs, presentations, lunch and learn sessions, Living with Liver Disease programs and other outreach programs.
Teachers are encouraged to book one of our KOOL KIDS presentations for their students. Check out Patient Support to learn more.
Living with Liver Disease in Alberta supports those affected by liver disease as well as those wishing to learn more about the liver and liver disease and prevention. Those affected can join our Peer Support Group. To learn more about these programs please check out Patient Support.
Research is about finding and sharing knowledge. Often the greatest discoveries come only after years of painstaking investigation by many different researchers. And it is the interpretation and communication of this knowledge outside the lab that gives a discover its true impact.
The CLF not only supports liver research by providing funding but also by assisting with the sharing of knowledge. The CLF's educational materials, website, Living with Liver Disease sessions, Continuing Medical Education (CME) sessions for health care professionals and other programs are outlets for communicating the latest research findings to the medical community and the public. Our research grant recipients, doctors and nurses in hepatolgy and participants in CLF-funded initiatives like the National Canadian Research Training Program in Hepatitis C often volunteer their time and expertise to help deliver this information to different audiences.
Local research projects currently being undertaken in Northern Alberta include:
Diana Mager, University of Alberta
Co-applicants: J. Yap, S. Gilmour, R. Tang-Wai, T.J. Snyder
Malnutrition is very common in infants with liver disease awaiting liver transplantation. This typically occurs during the first year of life - a very critical period for brain development. There is strong evidence that improvement in nutritional status during this period can avert and prevent long-term consequences. Researchers will supplement the diets of infants who have liver disease with specific amino acids to study the impact on growth and brain development.
Ran Chen, University of Alberta
Supervisor: Dr. Lorne Tyrrell
Hepatitis B and C are the major causes of liver cancer worldwide. Coinfection with the two diseases may lead to more rapid and aggressive liver disease. A mouse model provides a useful tool in the study of both viruses. The goal of the research project is to achieve a better understanding of the response to interferon of both hepatitis B and C infections. The results may have important implications on interferon therapy for coinfected patients.
