Mastiha treatment for healthy obese with NAFLD diagnosis (MAST4HEALTH) (DSB.AD007.128)

Thematic area

Biomedical sciences

Project area

Structure responsible for the research project

Institute of clinical physiology (IFC)

Project manager

AMALIA GASTALDELLI
Phone number: 050 3152679
Email: amalia.gastaldelli@ifc.cnr.it

Abstract

MAST4HEALTH is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) program under the EU Horizon 2020 framework.
MAST4HEALTH is set on the concept of a multidisciplinary approach to assess a non-pharmacological intervention for managing NAFLD/NASH, one of the most common complications of obesity and diabetes mellitus in Western populations affecting approximately 50% of diabetics and 76% of obese patients.
Because of limitations in current NAFLD treatment therapies, many new efforts focus on exploring non-pharmacologic means for managing the disease and in particular through dietary substances or bioactive phytochemicals in fruits, vegetables, and plants or their products.
MAST4HEALTH aims at exploring the effect of Mastiha, a natural product of Greece which was recently shown to possess antioxidant/anti inflammatory and lipid lowering properties.
The clinical activity will be performed in 4 European centers: for Italy, the clinical activity will be conducted at Niguarda Hospital in Milano by UOS IFC-CNR Milano team, under the responsibility of Maria Giovanna Trivella, MD, Head of the Clinical Research and Care Unit.

Goals

Study objectives: multicenter randomized double blind placebo controlled (parallel arm) clinical trial to test the effectiveness of Mastiha supplement as novel non-pharmacologic strategy for NAFLD/NASH treatment and specifically to assess comparatively in obese subjects with NAFLD the effects of 6-month oral supplementation with Masthiha, on top of diet, on liver fat content (primary) epigenetic and biochemical profile, gut microbiota (secondary). In fact, MAST4HEALTH will explore gene-diet interactions, the potential personalized activity of Mastiha, and correlate genetic and epigenetic markers with metabolomic and intestinal microbiota profiles pre- and post intervention. The effectiveness of the proposed intervention will be evaluated via clinical and laboratory markers of the disease.
To this end, MAST4HEALTH will train a number of researchers and PhD students in multidisciplinary approaches to address the topic. MAST4HEALTH is expected to build and enhance cooperation among partners meanwhile strengthening the interaction between our academic and non-academic sectors.

Start date of activity

01/03/2016

Keywords

Mastiha, Obesity, NAFLD

Last update: 20/05/2024