Nathan Cherrington

My laboratory has been focused on the effect of liver disease on the ability of an individual to metabolize and eliminate drugs and xenobiotics, as well as the mechanisms by which drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters are regulated by cellular stress. A major focus of my laboratory has been investigating the mechanisms of altered expression and activity of the major drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters during the progressive stages of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. We have identified changes in the expression and functionality of several drug metabolizing enzymes in both rodent models and the human disease. We have recently discovered alterations in the expression and localization of key drug transporters in NASH resulting in altered disposition of drugs and xenobiotics. A major thrust of this work is an effort to identify patients at greater risk of developing adverse drug reactions due to altered pharmacokinetics and overall exposure. This work has led to the development of a non-invasive biomarker in a cohort of pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients that specifically identifies those with NASH. My laboratory is now poised at the forefront of understanding drug disposition alterations in liver disease.