Integrated Diagnostics for Early Detection of Liver Disease (ID LIVER) is a research and innovation project. It aims to save lives by identifying liver disease in patients much earlier than is currently the case.

On this page:

1. Overview
2. The challenge
3. Our research
4. Our projects
5. The value of getting involved
6. Contact us

Overview

Liver disease is currently known as a silent killer as many people have no symptoms until they are faced with irreversible liver damage.

Diagnosing liver disease at the earliest possible stage is crucial because if detected early, the liver can often recover with simple lifestyle changes.  

University researchers, NHS experts and industry partners across the UK are working together to develop a new clinical system that will enable earlier, more accurate and potentially life-saving diagnoses. This is a major healthcare challenge that no individual team could effectively tackle alone.  

This clinical system will enable patients to be given the most appropriate care as early as possible and is in line with the NHS’s long-term goal of focusing on the prevention of disease.  

ID LIVER is led by: 

• The University of Manchester 

• Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust 

In partnership with: 

• The University of Nottingham 

• Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust 

• Industry partners 

The project was funded by the UK Government’s Innovate UK Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to do this research for three years from 2020. This funding has since led to the development of additional projects that are building on this research. See our projects page for an overview of individual projects that were made possible because of ID LIVER. 

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The Challenge

The liver is one of the largest organs in the body, it performs a vast number of tasks essential to our body. These include cleaning the blood, fighting infection and disease, and aiding digestion.  

In the UK, almost four in ten people are at risk of liver-related health problems. Some of these patients develop scarring (fibrosis) that can often progress to liver failure (cirrhosis), where the liver’s cells stop working as well as they should.  

Currently, there are a wide range of single tests for liver disease. These can identify late-stage disease, but they can’t pinpoint early signs or identify patients at risk of more serious outcomes. Three in four people are diagnosed at a late stage when it is too late to make lifestyle changes or interventions that may offer a remedy to the situation. This is one of the UK’s largest health challenges and if this stage is reached, there is no solution apart from a liver transplant.  

Developing software that combines a wide range of tests could help us to come up with much better and earlier answers when it comes to preventing and diagnosing liver disease. This will improve patient care, diagnosis and experience. It will also improve the efficiency of the NHS and reduce health inequalities.  

ID LIVER aims to identify and introduce key improvements in three areas: 

• earlier detection of liver problems within the community;  

• assessing whether MRI scans reduce the need for more invasive liver biopsies;  

•  increase the identification of patients who may be at a higher risk of developing liver disease, at the earliest stage. 

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Our research

We are implementing a new clinical system in Greater Manchester to identify patients at risk of liver disease.  

This is particularly important for the region because it has one of the UK’s highest rates of liver disease. 

Patients who are identified as being at risk of liver disease will be referred to community-based Liver Assessment Clinics in Manchester, where all tests are done in one visit.  

At this appointment, patients are given the option to take part in the ID LIVER study and be involved in additional tests. When combined with other clinical data, these tests will provide helpful information for detecting liver disease earlier in the future. 

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Our projects

As part of the ID LIVER project, we run other projects that support the work we do. You can find more information about these below.  

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The value of getting involved

The opinions and experiences of patients and the public are vital for this research.  

We endeavour to ensure that patients and the public can express their views and ideas on the way this research is conducted. Their views will be included in developing new approaches which will enable earlier diagnosis of liver disease.  

It is vital to raise awareness of liver disease, particularly in the communities where people are most affected by it.  

To do this, we’re working with Vocal, a not-for-profit organisation that specialises in bringing people and health research together for everyone’s benefit. Vocal is hosted by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with The University of Manchester.   

Our Advisory Board includes representation from the British Liver Trust, who are the UK’s leading liver health charity. They provide a wealth of information and support to people affected by liver disease. 

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Contact us

If you have any questions about ID LIVER, please contact us:   

• Email: ID-LIVER@manchester.ac.uk  
• Follow us on X: @ID_LIVER 

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