These cutting-edge techniques allowed the researchers to identify a network of cell-to-cell communication that drives scarring as the liver illness progresses. The results, which were published in Science Translational Medicine, could result in novel therapies.
By utilising the most recent technologies, including single-nuclear sequencing of mouse and human liver tissue and advanced 3D glass imaging of mice to characterise important scar-producing liver cells, researchers have discovered novel candidate drug targets for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Researchers from Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine were in charge of the study.
These cutting-edge techniques allowed the researchers to identify a network of cell-to-cell communication that drives scarring as the liver illness progresses. The results, which were published in Science Translational Medicine, could result in novel therapies.
NAFLD is a global concern that is characterised by fat in the liver and frequently linked to type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and high blood lipids. In the US, it is believed that 30 to 40% of people are afflicted, with 20% of these individuals having non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, a more advanced stage that is characterised by liver inflammation and can lead to extensive scarring (cirrhosis) and liver failure.
The fastest-growing cause of liver cancer worldwide is NASH. The experts note that fibrosis-blocking medications are presently not licenced for the treatment of advanced stages of NASH, which are brought on by the buildup of fibrosis or scarring.
