Dr. S. Sendhil Velan- Head of SBIC’s Metabolic Imaging Group (centre)- with Associate Professor Teoh Yee Leong- CEO of Singapore Clinical Research Institute (left) and Dr Eveline Bruinstroop- Research Fellow- Duke-NUS Medical School (right)

Dr S. Sendhil Velan said that this study affirms MRI and spectroscopic approaches as gold standards for measuring metabolic activity- and they will support future clinical studies in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (on NAFLD)- and the development of medical treatments that improve health outcomes

Scientists may be closer to finding a cure for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NALFD)- a major health problem- characterised by the build-up of fat in the liver that is not caused by heavy drinking.

A recent study conducted by Duke-NUS Medical School in collaboration with the Singapore Clinical Research Institute- and A*STAR’s Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC)- demonstrated that 20 patients who suffer from NAFLD- improved in their conditions when they were given small doses of thyroid hormone.

Dr S. Sendhil Velan and his team from SBIC’s Metabolic Imaging Group were integral to the clinical trial- implementing magnetic resonance imaging to assess the changes in various fat depots in the patients- before and after they receive thyroid hormone treatments.

The study’s findings signal a possible treatment for NAFLD- a disease that is medically untreatable- and affects more than 30 per cent of Singaporeans. The research team is confident that this treatment holds promise and aims to conduct a more extensive clinical study.