Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Thomas Reiberger: Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Our Hepatic Experimental (HEPEX) Laboratory focuses on translational research on anti-angiogenic and anti-fibrotic therapies in patients with known liver diseases, such as fatty liver disease or chronic viral hepatitis. Our program aims at the identification of patients with rare liver diseases and characterizing their clinical phenotype. We expect that full-exome sequencing will identify candidate genes that might be causal/responsible for liver diseases and could be mechanistically explored in terms of molecular function.

In this regard, we are investigating genetic material of patients with phenotypic Wilson Disease (WD) – a hereditary copper-overloading disease – in whom none of the established mutations have been identified. In collaboration with Kaan Boztug and Christoph Bock, the genetic material of these patients is currently being sequenced in order to identify novel WD-causing mutations.