A British scientific team has reached a promising new experimental treatment that can make a major shift in dealing with cirrhosis, one of the most dangerous and common liver diseases.
Dr. Maria Theresa Borilo and her team at the University of Sunderland have succeeded in developing drug compounds working to inhibit the HDAC6 enzyme, responsible for regulating inflammation and cellular stress in the liver.
This enzyme also plays a major role in stimulating the hepatic star cells, which produce collagen, which is the main factor in the formation of the tissue that leads to fibrosis.
Borillo, a lecture in pharmaceutical and medical chemistry, said that her team designed two special drugs to disable HDAC6 activity, and laboratory experiments showed encouraging results, as inflammatory indicators and cellular stress responses in hepatic cells decreased, which are two main factors in the development of fibrosis.
The research team believes that targeting the stimulating factor of fibrosis may contribute to slowing the development of the disease or even reflecting its path in its early stages, which reduces the need for liver transplantation and improves the quality of the life of patients.
These results also open the door to the use of HDAC6 inhibitors in the treatment of other diseases associated with inflammation, such as some skin disorders.
The British Liver Foundation welcomed the results of the study, considering it a vocal step in the way of developing effective treatments for cases that are often discovered only in late stages.
“Millions of liver fibrosis suffer without realizing this, and the injury is often discovered only when the urgent medical intervention is missed. So this research represents real hope to change the rules of the game,” said the Foundation’s CEO, Pamela Healy.
