Bay Biosciences provides high quality, clinical grade, biopsy tissue samples, FFPE tissue blocks with matched cryogenically preserved sera (serum), plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluid samples from F1, F2 and F3 nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients.

Moreover, the sera (serum), plasma and PBMC bio-fluids are processed from NASH F1, F2 and F3 patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.

In addition, NASH liver tissue and matched bio-fluids are collected from unique NASH patients and are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research, development and drug development.

Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) Overview

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is, in fact, an advanced form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Specifically, NAFLD is caused by a buildup of fat in the liver. When, consequently, this buildup causes inflammation and damage to the liver, it is referred to as NASH, which can, ultimately, lead to scarring of the liver. Furthermore, scarring of the liver is a potentially life-threatening condition known as cirrhosis of the liver.

In addition, NAFLD is a general term for a range of conditions characterized by extra fat in liver cells that is not caused by alcohol. It’s important to note that it’s normal for the liver to contain some fat. However, if more than 5 percent of the liver’s weight is fat, it is then considered a fatty liver (steatosis).

Types of NAFLD

Simple Fatty Liver

  •  In this form of NAFLD you have fat in your liver, but little or no inflammation of the liver or damage to liver cells. Doctors may refer to this as nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL). Typically, this form does not progress to cause liver damage.

Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

  • NASH is the more severe form of NAFLD in which you have hepatitis, which means swelling or inflammation of the liver, and liver cell damage, in addition to fat in the liver. Moreover,inlammation and liver cell damage can cause fibrosis, or scarring, of the liver.

Fibrosis of the Liver

  • Fibrosis of the liver  can progress to cirrhosis, where hard scar tissue replaces an increasingly larger amount of soft healthy liver tissue. Cirrhosis from NASH typically takes years of damage to develop.

Signs and Symptoms of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

In terms of Signs and Symptoms of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), most individuals with NASH and other forms of NAFLD do not exhibit symptoms. However, in cases where symptoms do develop, individuals may experience fatigue or pain in the upper right side of the abdomen.

Children with NASH may experience:

  • Firstly, fatigue
  • Secondly, pain in the middle or upper-right part of the abdomen
  • Finally, patches of darker, discolored skin, usually on the neck or under the arms

A doctor may only diagnose NASH after many years, when cirrhosis occurs. Anyone who develops any of the following symptoms should contact a doctor:

  • A swollen belly
  • Behavioral changes such as slurred speech or confusion
  • Easy bruising and bleeding
  • Intense itchiness
  • Spider veins just under the skin
  • Yellowing of the whites of the eyes, and in some people, the skin

Receiving appropriate care is key. If a person with NASH develops cirrhosis, this increases the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma, a common type of liver cancer.

Causes of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

While the cause of NASH is unclear, ongoing research suggests that the following may play a role:

  • Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, of liver cells
  • Intestinal bacteria, which may cause inflammation of the liver
  • Oxidative stress, an imbalance between the production of free radicals and antioxidants
  • Patient’s genetic makeup
  • Overproduction and release of cytokines, types of toxic inflammatory protein that the body produces

Risk Factors of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

While the exact causes of NASH are currently unclear, the following can increase a patient’s risk of developing it:

  • Type-2 diabetes
  • Being overweight
  • Body fat that is concentrated around the waist
  • High cholesterol
  • Having metabolic syndrome
  • High levels of triglycerides 
  • Hypertension high blood pressure
  • Obstructive sleep apnea
  • Hispanic or Asian decent
  • Postmenopausal

Diagnosis of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

As patients with NASH do not usually experience symptoms, doctors often recognize signs of fatty liver during screening for other conditions or routine blood tests.

High levels of the enzymes alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase are markers of liver inflammation . If a blood test shows this, a doctor will usually order more tests to rule out other liver diseases.

These blood tests do not show whether there is scarring, however, or the extent of liver damage. Therefore, doctors then order imaging tests, such as ultrasound scans, that can show how stiff the liver is. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) tests combine features of ultrasound and MRI imaging to show the extent of scarring.

Occasionally, doctors then order a liver biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. This involves removing a small sample of liver tissue for microscopic examination.

Because biopsies are invasive and costly, and many doctors only recommend them if other tests show significant scarring, and the doctors suspect cirrhosis.

Treatment Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

There are no specific medical treatments for NASH. Taking the following steps can help prevent further damage:

  • Controlling blood cholesterol levels
  • Maintaining a moderate weight, and if this involves losing weight, doing so gradually
  • Getting regular exercise
  • Having a balanced, healthy diet with low amounts of processed foods and fats, and little, if any, fructose
  • Limiting or avoiding alcohol
  • Managing diabetes, for anyone who has it

If a person with NASH also has cirrhosis, the treatment may include medications and possibly surgery.

Patients with NASH who develop liver cancer or liver failure may require a transplant.

Outlook of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

A patient with NASH has a high percentage of fat in their liver. The liver is also swollen and has sustained damage. This damage can cause fibrosis, or scarring.

In some patients, the scarring and damage become permanent, and doctors diagnose cirrhosis. At this stage, the liver may not be able to function properly. Some people may go on to develop liver cancer. In either case, a liver transplant may be necessary.

Summary

NASH involves swelling, damage, and a high percentage of fat in the liver. It can become severe and lead to permanent damage. It also increases the risk of a common type of liver cancer.

There are currently no medical treatments for NASH, but self-care strategies and lifestyle changes can help manage it. If cirrhosis develops, the treatment may involve medications and surgery. If liver failure or cancer develops, a person may need a transplant.

Biospecimens

biospecimens

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Human biospecimens are available including cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors for controls, available in all formats and types.

In fact, our biobank procures and stores fully consented, de-identified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples, human biofluids such as serum samples, plasma samples from various diseases and matched controls.

Also, all our human tissue collections, human biospecimens and human biofluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

In fact, this critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Additionally, researchers find the patient’s data associated with the human biospecimens extremely valuable and use it to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, as well as in other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and human biological samples, including fresh frozen human biospecimens cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

For example fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as human serum, human plasma and human PBMCs.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Types of Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) and human biofluids from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

Moreover, we can also procure most human biospecimens and human biofluids, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples and human biofluids are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human biofluids such as  human plasma, human serum, and human PBMCs bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Bay Biosciences also provides human biospecimens from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, Contact us Now.