DEMISTIFI

DEfining MechanIsms Shared across mulTI-organ FIbrosis to prevent the development of long-term multi-morbidity (DEMISTIFI-Multi Morbidity) Consortium.

Scarring of the internal organs occurs in many common diseases, including diabetes (scarring in the pancreas), hypertension (blood vessels), chronic kidney disease (kidney), cirrhosis (liver) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (lungs). Within the consortium we have full spectrum of single organ fibrosis, including lung (n=1150), liver (n=1930), pancreas (n=1480), small bowel (n=1193), kidney (n=1700), as well as brain, bone marrow, and diabetes cohorts. The aim of our research is to identify patterns of scarring in different organs, which we have termed Fibrotic Multi-Morbidity (FMM), and to understand how and why the scarring gets worse. We will use new technology such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to measure the amount of scarring in different organs to generate a Total Body Fibrosis Score. In this way, we hope to be able to stop scarring from destroying the organ in which it is found and prevent it spreading to other organs by using a single treatment for scarring. Ultimately, by understanding the causes of scarring and reasons that worsen the scarring we will prevent the long-term problems that occur when people get scarring in multiple organs in the body.