We’re looking forward to attending The Liver Meeting 2026 in Denver and connecting with the liver and cardiometabolic disease research community. Visit us to learn more about Taconic’s models and solutions supporting cardiometabolic and liver disease research, including obesity, metabolic dysfunction, MASLD, and MASH. Our team can help you select and develop translational preclinical approaches that align with your research goals. Fill out the calendar to the right to schedule a meeting with our team at The Liver Meeting 2026.
Denver, Colorado | November 05 - 09, 2026 | Booth #1763
Join Taconic Biosciences at The Liver Meeting® 2026, organized by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)
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Taconic’s Cardiometabolic Model Portfolio
Obesity Models
Taconic's diet-induced obesity (DIO) models support studies of obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic disease progression, and therapeutic response following high-fat diet conditioning. The humanized GLP-1 receptor knock-in (hGLP1R) mouse complements these models by enabling translational evaluation of human-specific GLP-1 receptor agonists and related incretin therapeutics for obesity, diabetes, and broader cardiometabolic research.
MASH Model
Taconic’s Diet-Induced MASH B6 is an off-the-shelf model conditioned on a high-fat, high-fructose, high-cholesterol diet to induce key features of MASH, including steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. The model supports studies of liver disease progression and therapeutic intervention.
Humanized Liver Study Services
Taconic's Humanized Liver Mouse Platform provides in vivo models with humanized liver function for translational studies of drug metabolism, safety, and efficacy. Built on the TK-NOG background, these models support pharmacokinetic, hepatotoxicity, infectious disease, and liver disease research programs.
Scientific Posters
We are proud to share that Taconic and collaborators will present the following poster at The Liver Meeting 2026, and that our MASH/fibrosis poster has been labeled a Poster of Distinction by the AASLD Scientific Committee!
Friday, November 5, 2026 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Session: MASLD/MASH - Experimental: Basic (1320-1416)
Poster Title: Rapid humanized mouse models for liver fibrosis and MASH
Author: Fallon Noto, PhD
Presented by TransCure bioServices
Background: The development of preclinical models integrating human immune components represents a key advance for for the predictive evaluation of therapies targeting inflammation, fibrosis and metabolic dysfunction in liver diseases. In this study, we characterized two rapid induction approaches in humanized immune system NCG mice to establish distinct models of liver fibrosis and MASH.
Methods: NCG mice engrafted with human CD34⁺ hematopoietic stem cells (HIS-NCG) were exposed either to repeated carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) administration for 23 days or to a 14-day high-fat methionine- and choline-deficient (HFMCD) diet. Liver injury was assessed through clinical monitoring, circulating ALT and LGALS3 quantification, as well as histopathological fibrosis, steatosis and human macrophage infiltration assessment in the liver.
Results: Both protocols induced rapid health deterioration associated with elevated serum ALT levels compared with control animals. However, the resulting pathological phenotypes differed substantially between models. CCl4-treated HIS-NCG mice developed severe liver fibrosis, with 88% of animals presenting bridging fibrosis (F3) or cirrhotic architecture, without associated steatosis or marked human macrophage infiltration. In contrast, the HFMCD diet induced a broader phenotype consistent with MASH, including advanced steatosis, a NAFLD activity score (NAS) of 6 and early-stage fibrosis (F0-F1), associated with infiltration by human CD68⁺ macrophages. In both models, increased α-smooth muscle actin expression, indicative of hepatic stellate cell activation, together with elevated circulating galectin-3-binding protein levels, further supported the presence of active fibrotic processes.
Conclusions: Together, these HIS models provide well-defined liver phenotype platforms for the evaluation of therapeutic candidates targeting human immune-mediated pathways involved in liver disease.
Friday, November 5, 2026 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Session: Metabolic and Genetic Disease (1417-1449)
Poster Title: Non-invasive Ultrasound and Photoacoustic Imaging of Hepatic Composition and Biomechanics in Preclinical Models of Metabolic Liver Disease Using the Vevo F2xc and LAZR-X20
Author: Barry Campbell
Presented by Fujifilm
Learn from Experience
Our team brings extensive expertise in managing animal models across diverse research areas. By sharing practical insights into model selection, colony management, and welfare-focused strategies, we aim to help researchers design studies that are both efficient and responsible.
Laura Griffin, PhD 
Associate Director, Cardiometabolic Portfolio
Laura Griffin, PhD, is the Associate Director of the Cardiometabolic Disease Portfolio at Taconic Biosciences, where she leads strategy and scientific positioning for models and services supporting CVMD research. She works closely with pharmaceutical and biotech researchers to design translational preclinical approaches that integrate genetic models, diet conditioning, and study design. Dr. Griffin has over a decade of experience in preclinical research and model application, with expertise in disease modeling and experimental strategy. She has contributed to the development and positioning of key cardiometabolic platforms, including diet-induced obesity systems and humanized receptor models. Her work focuses on helping researchers build study-ready systems that improve reproducibility and better reflect human disease.
Jennifer Pearson-Smith, PhD
Scientific Solutions Consultant
Dr. Jennifer Pearson-Smith has experience in metabolism, oxidative stress, and mouse colony management. At Taconic, she develops colony management solutions that meet the specific needs of the preclinical researchers she works with.
Fallon Noto, PhD
Field Applications Scientist
Fallon Noto, PhD, is a research scientist and R&D leader with more than 15 years of experience in oncology, regenerative medicine, and humanized preclinical models. She specializes in leading in vivo and translational research programs that support drug discovery and preclinical development. Her expertise includes scientific strategy, experimental design, and building collaborative research programs that generate actionable data to advance new therapies.
Amy Moring
Client Relationship Manager
Amy Moring joined Taconic in 2024 and as your local Client Relationship Manager for the Southwestern region, she is dedicated to supporting your pre-clinical studies by striving to offer the best solutions using in-vivo models. She is well-versed in Taconic’s portfolio of commercially available mouse and rat models to streamline your projects in a variety of therapeutic areas, as well as our custom model generation solutions and colony management services. Amy holds a Bachelors of Science in Microbiology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
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