New Study Investigates the Gut-Liver Axis

One in three adults in Germany is affected by metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), while approximately 10-30% of the population are affected by small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Both conditions often remain undetected, particularly in their early stages, although they are generally treatable.

Both liver and intestinal health are essential for food digestion, immune function and overall well-being. SIBO can impair the intestinal barrier, allowing harmful substances to enter the bloodstream and travel directly to the liver, potentially increasing inflammatory responses in the liver. Patients with MASLD are more likely to have SIBO. Increased inflammatory burden could worsen the course of MASLD. The MASIBO pilot study aims to investigate the relationship between these two conditions.

“Together with partners from medicine and industry, we are exploring how inflammatory patterns differ between patients with MASLD who have SIBO and those who do not,” says Prof. Dr. Janin Henkel-Oberländer, Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at the University of Bayreuth. “The findings may, in future, allow us to make predictions about disease progression and develop recommendations regarding treatment options for patients with MASLD.”

The Nutritional Biochemistry research group, headed by Prof. Dr. Janin Henkel-Oberländer, is responsible for coordinating the MASIBO study and conducting the molecular analyses of the biological samples. “In addition to further histopathological investigations, our primary focus is the comprehensive analysis of blood samples collected as part of routine treatment at Klinikum Kulmbach,” says Henkel-Oberländer. 

This includes the isolation and characterisation of specific blood cell populations as well as the measurement of various blood biomarkers intended to provide insight into the degree and pattern of inflammation. Siemens Healthineers supports research with blood tests such as the ELF™ test, which can predict the risk and severity of liver fibrosis.

The study will begin recruiting patients in autumn 2026. Over a two-year period, it will be funded by the Upper Franconia Foundation (Oberfrankenstiftung) and the Rainer Markgraf Foundation.