Skip to content
Home page - Centenary Institute Centenary Institute

Primary menu

  • Research
        • Research

          The latest medical research into our most complex health challenges across cancer, cardiovascular disease and inflammation

          Learn more

        • Cancer
        • Inflammation
        • Cardiovascular
        • Programs
        • Laboratories
        • Diseases
        • Expertises
        • Services and instrumentation
  • Support us
        • Support us

          By supporting the Centenary Institute you can help improve human health through excellence in medical research

          Learn more

        • Workplace giving
        • Host or join a fundraiser
        • Gift in your Will
        • Donate in Memory
  • Impact
        • Impact

          Our research develops new diagnostics, treatments and cures for some of the most deadly and debilitating diseases affecting society today

          Learn more

        • Breakthroughs
        • Community and research
        • Real stories
  • Health hub
        • Health hub

          A range of practical information to assist in the possible preventions to disease through evidence-based research on how the body works.

          Learn more

        • Inflammation
        • The Good Gut Anti-Inflammatory Diet
        • Ageing
        • Exercise Snack Program
  • News & events
        • News & Events

          Explore the latest research breakthroughs and ways you can take part in our series of digital and in-person events

        • News
        • Events
        • Media Hub
  • About us
        • About us

          We are world-leading independent medical research institute that drives collaboration to accelerate and translate solutions to our most complex health challenges

          Learn more

        • Governance
        • Corporate information
        • Annual reports
        • Our researchers
        • Careers and studies
        • Contact
  • Donate
    Centenary Institute > News > Alcoholic cirrhosis & genetics

Alcoholic cirrhosis & genetics

Date time 28 April, 2015

Researchers from the Centenary Institute have released some of the initial clinical findings to emerge from a world first genome-wide association study in alcoholic cirrhosis.

The findings suggest that alcohol consumption levels may not be the only common link between chronic excessive drinkers and liver disease (cirrhosis) – it could be due to a genetic link. Through this study, a possible parental link has been identified with many of the participants with cirrhosis reporting that their father consumed excessive quantities of alcohol and had died from liver disease

Testing the genes of hundreds of Sydney-siders and thousands of others across six countries, the US  government has invested $2.5 million in this Sydney-led study to determine the role of genetics in alcoholic liver disease.

Leading the study is the Centenary Institute’s Dr Devanshi Seth, who says that this study should ultimately lead to better and earlier diagnosis and treatment of the condition – a silent epidemic that costs $3.8 billion a year
in Australia alone.

“It is widely accepted that 15-20% of chronic excessive drinkers will develop cirrhosis, although rates of up to 50% have been reported,” Dr Seth said.

“There is widespread acceptance among liver specialists that not all patients who drink excessive alcohol will  develop cirrhosis. Our study is working to uncover the genetic factors that increase the risk of developing cirrhosis.”

Dr Seth said participants and researchers in this study are located in Australia, France, Germany, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA.

“The study is ongoing to recruit 5,000 patients across the world. To date, we have collected approximately 50% of our total specimens,” Dr Seth said.

“So far, we have found that alcohol consumption levels were similar in drinkers who did not have liver disease  as to those who had cirrhosis, emphasising the existence of individual vulnerability factors. We also found that affected individuals were more likely to report that a father with alcohol problems had died from liver disease, underscoring and exemplifying the heritability of this disease.”

In the next stages of this study it is expected that the genetic information generated will provide the first ‘genetic architecture’ of alcoholic liver cirrhosis and identify risk factors. This will be a significant advancement in the field of alcohol and liver research, as this level of information is not yet known for this disease.

This study is being conducted by a large international consortia with multidisciplinary experts, including the GenomALC consortium. The stablishment of GenomALC will lead to the largest collection of tissue and data of
its kind, which will be a valuable resource for future alcohol and liver research and genetic studies.

The Centenary Institute acknowledges and thanks the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) for the financial support for this study. Without grant funding from the NIAAA we would not be able to conduct this large, international study.

Media enquires

For all media and interview enquiries, please contact Tony Crawshaw, Media and Communications Manager

Phone number Phone Number 0402 770 403

Email Email t.crawshaw@centenary.org.au

Recent Stories

  • Metastatic cancer research boosted

    Dr Dannel Yeo from the Centenary Institute and Clinical Associate Professor Kate Mahon from Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, have been awarded an inaugural Sydney Cancer Partners Translational Fellowship.
    News Type: Research News
    Date 03 Mar 2023
  • The Year That Made Me: Professor John Rasko

    Professor John Rasko AO, Head of the Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program at the Centenary Institute has featured on the popular Radio National show Sunday Extra in the segment called ‘The Year That Made Me’.
    News Type: Media coverage
    Date 21 Feb 2023
  • Top abstract prize for gene therapy research

    Professor John Rasko AO and team have received the top scoring abstract award at the 16th Annual Congress of the European Association for Haemophilia and Allied Disorders in Manchester.
    News Type: Research News
    Date 15 Feb 2023
  • Event celebrates ‘The Good Gut Anti-Inflammatory Diet’

    The Centenary Institute has celebrated the publication of a new book, 'The Good Gut Anti-Inflammatory Diet’ at a special event, held at the Dymocks Bookstore, Sydney.
    News Type: Community
    Date 13 Feb 2023

Subscribe to receive news on
research updates and free events

Newsletter

The Centenary Institute is a world-leading independent Medical Research Institute.

We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Centenary Institute stands.

About

  • About
  • Governance
  • Corporate information

Research

  • Programs
  • Our researchers
  • News
  • Media hub

Careers & studies

  • Career opportunities
  • Life at Centenary

Links

  • Contact
  • Privacy statement

Contact us

Building 93, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Missenden Rd
Camperdown NSW 2050 Australia
Telephone +61 2 9565 6100
Fax +61 2 9565 6101

Centenary Institute ABN 22 654 201 090 (DGR 1) • Centenary Institute Medical Research Foundation ABN 85 778 244 012 (DGR 2)
© 2017 Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology.

  • Linkedin
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram