Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Northwestern Medicine/Feinberg School of Medicine Center for Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics in Gastroenterology The Center for Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics in Gastroenterology (AIM-GI) is a first of its kind program developed in a division of Gastroenterology. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have the potential to vastly improve our ability to accurately predict, diagnose and treat our patients living with digestive diseases. Through collaboration with engineers at the McCormick School of Engineering and physician scientists at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, our team has been incorporating mathematical modeling and advanced programming to study the mechanisms that lead to poor gastrointestinal function. This work led to the development of a more formalized center that focuses on three main initiatives. Development of virtual organs which can be used to study the effects of surgery and medications; Development of new hybrid diagnostic tools using AI and machine learning to enhance diagnosis; Using machine learning and neutral networks to predict disease outcome. Although this is a new program, we have already had success developing an NIH funded Center of Research Expertise (CORE) and we have also developed new AI prototypes that can improve diagnostic accuracy and reliability of motility tests. This work is supported by the generosity of the Digestive Health Foundation and these funds help provide the computational power and expertise required to continue to develop these innovative tools. Our goal is to continue invent and develop new approaches and our partnership with the Digestive Disease Foundation will continue to allow us to grow and evolve this...
Principal Investigator: Alyssa Kriegermeier, MD Children with liver disease frequently suffer from jaundice caused by the poor flow of bile from the liver to the intestines—a disease state called cholestasis. Currently no treatments are available that effectively prevent liver failure due to pediatric cholestatic liver diseases. Lifesaving liver transplantation is often the only answer. Cells within the liver deal with the stress from cholestasis via stress-induced pathways known as the unfolded protein response (UPR). While the UPR has been studied in adult liver diseases, little is known about its activation in children. Dr. Kriegermeier previously demonstrated, in an animal model of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), one form of cholestatic liver disease affecting children and adults (about 80 percent of whom also have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD- Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, etc.)), that removing parts of the UPR affects disease progression. This study will seek to better understand the differences in adults and children within this cell stress response during times of cholestasis. Identifying new therapeutic targets will provide a springboard for developing treatments for these children that will hopefully prevent them from needing liver...
Principal Investigator: Xiaoying Liu, PhD The term cholestasis describes any condition that impairs normal bile flow from the liver into the bile ducts and then into the intestine. This disease state can cause chronic liver damage, cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease (requiring a liver transplant), and death. Cholestatic liver diseases include primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Cholestasis also occurs frequently after liver transplantation, which can result in the need for repeat liver transplantation or death. Unfortunately, the molecular drivers of cholestasis are still poorly understood with few effective medical therapies. The liver unfolded protein response (UPR) is a molecular pathway that protects cells from injury. UPR has been demonstrated to be important in many liver diseases, although its role in cholestasis remains unknown. Dr. Liu intends to investigate the activation of the liver UPR pathways in liver transplant patients with cholestasis. Identifying new UPR protein and gene targets will ultimate aid in developing novel drug therapies and improving liver transplant...
Principal Investigator: Lisa B. VanWagner, MD Liver transplantation extends the lives of many patients with liver failure. Yet, one in three recipients will experience a heart disease event after liver transplant surgery due to the effects of immunosuppression causing a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure (BP). Decreasing hypertension in these patients could help improve their outcomes. While there are different methods for detecting high BP, some are better than others. Home monitors and portable/wearable 24-hour monitoring devices often best reveal how blood pressure readings relate to daily activities and sleep and provide keener insights into patients’ true blood pressure levels than measurements taken in the clinic. Dr. VanWagner’s study will involve measuring blood pressure over time in 50 Northwestern liver transplant recipients. Her team will use the office, home, and 24-hour blood pressure measurement approaches to enable interventions to lower blood pressure and prevent dangerous heart disease events after transplant...
Principal Investigator: Sri Komanduri, MD, MS, FASGE, AGAF; Co-Principal Investigator: Robert Schenck, MD The thought of potentially having cancer is stressful enough without undergoing an invasive biopsy to diagnose it and finding out that the procedure needs to be repeated due to inadequate sample collection. This project aims to optimize strategies for acquiring tissue samples to assist gastroenterologists (and pathologists) in diagnosing many diseases, including cancers. Relying on endoscopic ultrasound guidance, the two methods currently utilized are fine needle aspiration, which is the gold standard, and a new method called fine needle biopsy. Drs. Komanduri and Schenck are conducting the largest study to date to compare these different strategies. After collecting data from patients who have undergone one of these procedures over a five-year period, the investigator will perform advanced statistical modeling to determine the strategy that best optimizes patient outcomes (including obtaining accurate diagnoses and minimizing repeat invasive procedures) and costs. Once identified, this strategy will ultimately be implemented throughout the Northwestern Digestive Health Center to enhance patient...
