The Marqués de Valdecilla Research Institute (IDIVAL) has participated in the second annual meeting of the European project Halt‑RONIN, held at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon (Portugal). The event brought together the partners of the international consortium to review the scientific progress achieved during the project’s first year and to coordinate the next phases of research on metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its progression toward more severe forms.
Over the two working days, the different groups presented the results obtained across the various work packages, which range from the development of in vitro and in vivo experimental models to data integration through bioinformatic tools and the identification of new biomarkers.
IDIVAL played a leading role as coordinator of Work Package 5 (WP5), dedicated to clinical validation. Marta Alonso and Carolina Jiménez presented progress focused on integrating data from nine international clinical cohorts and developing strategies to improve the classification of patients with steatotic liver disease. They also outlined the incorporation of the new clinical nomenclature for these conditions and the internationally agreed diagnostic criteria.
In the same session, María Teresa Arias and Paula Iruzubieta, from the Cantabrian Health Service, delivered a presentation on the impact of the new nomenclature for steatotic liver disease (SLD) on the clinical classification of patients—an essential aspect for ensuring study homogeneity and facilitating the comparison of results among participating centers.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to review advances in the development of cellular and animal models, new data analysis tools, biomarkers, and translational studies, as well as to address regulatory, ethical, and scientific communication aspects. One of the most relevant discussions highlighted the importance of strengthening collaboration between basic and clinical researchers to accelerate the translation of results into clinical practice.
The event concluded with the planning of upcoming consortium activities, including a dedicated clinical meeting scheduled for the end of the year and the next annual meeting, which will take place in Turkey. These developments consolidate the progress of Halt‑RONIN, a project funded by the European Union that aims to improve understanding of the mechanisms involved in the progression of liver diseases and to support the development of new tools for their diagnosis, stratification, and treatment.
