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Not yet recruitingNCT07111130RE-BALANCEUpdated May 15, 2026

Restoring Bile Acid Homeostasis Via Lifestyle Adjustments to Prevent the Development of Liver Cancer

An interventional study of 12-week Lifestyle Intervention in Liver Diseases, sponsored by National Cancer Centre, Singapore. Not yet recruiting at 14 sites in Singapore. Open to participants aged 40 Years to 90 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-15.

Sponsored by National Cancer Centre, Singapore · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
90
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
40 Years to 90 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This is a prospective, single-arm, non-randomized interventional study nested within the existing ELEGANCE cohort. Patients eligible for the RE-BALANCE study will be selected from the ELEGANCE cohort based on predefined high-risk criteria, specifically a low 12-non-hydroxy/12-hydroxy bile acid ratio indicative of elevated hepatocarcinogenic risk.

The study comprises Baseline Assessments (Visit 1), Intervention Visits (Visit 2-8), and Follow-up Assessments (Visit 9-11).

Read the detailed description

Participants will undergo a structured 12-week lifestyle intervention comprising a low-carbohydrate, high-fibre dietary plan and a prescribed physical activity program targeting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Standardized meal provision and wearable fitness tracking devices will be used to support adherence throughout the intervention period.

Biological assessments will be conducted at baseline (Visit 1), mid-intervention (Visit 6), and end-of-intervention (Visit 9), including blood sampling for bile acid profiling and stool sampling for gut microbiome sequencing. Liver health evaluation will be conducted at baseline (Visit 1) and end-of-intervention (Visit 9) to assess patient's change in liver health. Extended biological assessments (Visit 10-11) and liver health evaluation through LMS-CT1 imaging (Visit 11) will be performed post-intervention to evaluate the sustainability of the observed changes.

Participants will continue to receive standard-of-care surveillance in parallel during the study. In the event of clinical suspicion for hepatocellular carcinoma during surveillance imaging, participants will undergo confirmatory diagnostic imaging and, if diagnosed, will be referred for standard clinical management. Participants diagnosed with HCC during the study will be withdrawn from the active intervention phase. Their data up to the point of diagnosis will be included in analysis, and they will revert to standard-of-care HCC management. Ongoing follow-up for clinical outcomes may continue under the parent ELEGANCE study framework.

The study will enrol approximately 90 high-risk NBNC patients identified from the ELEGANCE cohort. Accrual is expected to be completed within 6 to 9 months. The active intervention will last 12 weeks, with subsequent observational follow-up extending up to 12 months post-intervention to assess the durability of metabolic, microbiome, and imaging changes and monitor the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma.

02

Conditions studied

  • Liver Diseases

Keywords

  • Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)
  • Non-viral HCC
  • Interventional Study
  • Lifestyle Adjustments
  • Bile Acid, Microbiome and Liver Health Modulation
03

In context

Liver Diseases

2,080 studies on the registry are indexed under Liver Diseases; 389 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 90 is above the median of 50 across 1,322 interventional studies indexed under Liver Diseases.

Browse Liver Diseases studies →

Lead sponsor

National Cancer Centre, Singapore is the lead sponsor of 116 studies on the registry; 30 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
40 Years to 90 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

The following criteria are to be checked at the time of enrolment. The patient may only be included in the study if ALL of the following statements are FULFILLED:

  1. The patient is an existing participant of the ELEGANCE study and shows no evidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at the time of enrolment into RE-BALANCE.
  2. Male and female patients aged 50 to 90 years at the time of informed consent are eligible. However, patients with cirrhosis may be included if they are aged 40 to 90 years.
  3. Negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis C antibody
  4. High-risk bile acid profile, defined as a 12-non-hydroxy/12-hydroxy bile acid ratio below the threshold determined from ELEGANCE cohort data.
  5. Patient is able to comply with scheduled visits, assessments and other study procedures.
  6. Patient is willing to provide informed consent before enrolment in the study.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

The following criteria should be checked at the time of enrolment. If ANY applies, the patient must not be included in the study:

  1. Patient with confirmed diagnosis of HCC by the American Association for the Study of the Liver Disease (AASLD) imaging criteria or histology / cytology within the last 5 years.
  2. Patient with Child Pugh C or decompensated cirrhosis at time of enrolment (based on the judgement of the Investigator).
  3. Patient with active hepatic encephalopathy at time of enrolment.
  4. Patient is known to be positive for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
  5. Patient has chronic liver diseases apart from steatosis or compensated cirrhosis (e.g., autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis. etc.).
  6. Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus requiring special dietary management or persistent unacceptable HbA1c levels.
  7. Use of weight-loss medications (e.g., GLP-1 agonists, Orlistat) within three months prior to enrolment or planned use during the study period.
  8. History of bariatric surgery or planned bariatric surgery during the study period.
  9. Patient has significant comorbidities expected to limit life expectancy to less than one year, or that would render diet or exercise unsafe

    1. Diseases involving muscles, bones or joints that may impact the subjects' performance during exercise testing and exercise rehabilitation
    2. Co-morbidities that may adversely affect exercise performance
    3. Requiring an assistive aid with walking
    4. Conditions that require strict dietary restrictions or impair ability to follow dietary interventions
  10. Patient has significant gastrointestinal diseases affecting nutrient absorption or requiring a special diet incompatible with study diet.
  11. Pregnancy or breastfeeding
  12. Current use of medications or supplements that significantly alter bile acid gastrointestinal absorption (e.g., bile acid sequestrants) that cannot be safely discontinued.
  13. Patient has severe food allergies or intolerances incompatible with the provided study diet.
  14. Patient has psychiatric or addictive disorders that may compromise his/her ability to give informed consent, or to comply with the study procedures.
  15. Patient is unable to provide informed consent or refuse blood taking and other investigations including LMS scans.
  16. Patient has any other condition which, in the opinion of the Investigators, would make the patient unsuitable for enrolment or could interfere with completion of the study.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
90 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    12-week Intervention

    12-week lifestyle intervention.

    Other: 12-week Lifestyle Intervention

Interventions

  • Other12-week Lifestyle Intervention

    Eligible participants within the existing ELEGANCE cohort will undergo a structured 12-week lifestyle intervention comprising a low-carbohydrate, high-fibre dietary plan and a prescribed physical activity program targeting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Standardized meal provision and wearable fitness tracking devices will be used to support adherence throughout the intervention period.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Hepatocarcinogenic risk change in relation to metabolomics profile.

    Change in the bile acid profile pre- and post-intervention.

    Time frame: Pre-intervention (Baseline), Post-intervention (3-month)

  2. Hepatocarcinogenic risk change in relation to metagenomics profile.

    Change in the gut microbiome alpha and beta diversity pre- and post-intervention.

    Time frame: Pre-intervention (Baseline), Post-intervention (3-month)

  3. Hepatocarcinogenic risk change in relation to liver health profile.

    Change in the hepatic steatosis and fibrosis as measured by LMS-CT1 MRI pre- and post-intervention.

    Time frame: Pre-intervention (Baseline), Post-intervention (3-month)

  4. Sustained change in hepatocarcinogenic risk in relation to metabolomics profile.

    Sustained change in the bile acid profile post-intervention.

    Time frame: Up to 12 months.

  5. Sustained change in hepatocarcinogenic risk in relation to metagenomics profile.

    Sustained change in the gut microbiome alpha and beta diversity post-intervention.

    Time frame: Up to 12 months.

  6. Sustained change in hepatocarcinogenic risk in relation to liver health profile.

    Sustained change in the hepatic steatosis and fibrosis as measured by LMS-CT1 MRI post-intervention.

    Time frame: Up to 12 months.

  7. Long-term HCC incidence against a matched control within the ELEGANCE cohort.

    Time frame: Up to 12 months.

07

Study locations

14 sites
  • National University Hospital
    Singapore, 119074, Singapore
  • SingHealth Polyclinics - Bukit Merah
    Singapore, 150163, Singapore
  • National Cancer Center Singapore
    Singapore, 168583, Singapore
    • Professor Pierce CHOW, MD, PhD · Contact
  • SingHealth Polyclinics - Outram
    Singapore, 168937, Singapore
  • Singapore General Hospital
    Singapore, 169608, Singapore
  • Tan Tock Seng Hospital
    Singapore, 308433, Singapore
  • SingHealth Polyclinics - Marine Parade
    Singapore, 440080, Singapore
  • SingHealth Polyclinics - Bedok
    Singapore, 469662, Singapore
  • SingHealth Polyclinics - Pasir Ris
    Singapore, 519466, Singapore
  • SingHealth Polyclinics - Tampines
    Singapore, 529203, Singapore
  • Changi General Hospital
    Singapore, 529889, Singapore
  • Sengkang General Hospital
    Singapore, 544886, Singapore
  • SingHealth Polyclinics - Sengkang
    Singapore, 545025, Singapore
  • SingHealth Polyclinics - Punggol
    Singapore, 820681, Singapore
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 15, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07111130
Lead sponsor
National Cancer Centre, Singapore
Collaborators
Perspectum, BUZUD Pte Ltd, Asian Microbiome Library (AMiLi) Pte Ltd
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Aug 8, 2025
Start date
Jul 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Mar 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Mar 2028 (estimated)
Last update
May 15, 2026

Study contacts

Professor Pierce Chow, MD, PhD
Contact
pierce.chow.k.h@singhealth.com.sg
+65 6306 5424
Dr Yuxin GUO, MD
Contact
guo.yuxin@singhealth.com.sg
Professor Pierce Chow, MD, PhD
study chair · National Cancer Centre, Singapore

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in May 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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