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Core Imaging Laboratory

Q&A with NASH Imaging Expert Dr. Mustafa Bashir

  • June 6, 2019
Mustafa Bashir, MD, is an Associate Professor of Radiology and Medicine in the Gastroenterology division at Duke University School of Medicine. He also serves as Director of MRI, and Director of the Center for Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging and leads the Laboratory for Liver Imaging Research in the Department of Radiology at Duke University School of Medicine. Medpace  Imaging Core Laboratory, Associate Director, Dr. Scott Holland, had an opportunity to sit down with Dr. Bashir to discuss all things NASH imaging. In the interview, they discuss his experience with imaging biomarkers for use in clinical trials for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Non-Alcoholic SteatoHepatitis (NASH).

You’ll hear his answers to questions such as:

  • Why is there is so much interest currently by the pharmaceutical industry in developing drugs to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?
  • Can you explain the difference between Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver disease and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis or NASH?
  • Is it fair to say that NASH is really a progressive liver degeneration, whereas NAFLD is more of a condition?
  • What do you see as the role of imaging in the clinical trials for NAFLD and NASH therapeutics?
  • Do you feel like imaging gives a better representation of what is going on in the entire organ versus what a biopsy shows you, or is the biopsy really more representative of what’s going on throughout the liver?
  • Given that we’re talking about imaging and looking at surrogate biomarkers for endpoints of liver disease, what’s your sense about the best imaging modality for looking at progression from NAFLD to NASH in a clinical trial setting?
  • In terms of MR and maybe, to some extent, ultrasound, are there particular biomarkers that give us the greatest sensitivity and specificity for NAFLD and disease progression?
  • For imaging of liver and looking at disease progression within NAFLD, is it helpful to use exogenous MR contrast agents or is that not necessary?
  • Looking to the future in terms of clinical trials in NAFLD and NASH, and other liver diseases as well, do you see any new imaging biomarkers coming on the horizon in this area?

To Read the Full Interview Click Here

Medpace Core Labs provide an end-to-end suite of global imaging services to enhance and expedite biopharmaceutical and medical device development. To learn more about Medpace Imaging Core Lab NASH capabilities, click here. For Medpace general NASH capabilities information, click here.