via News-Medical.Net
Drug therapy may effectively treat a potentially life-threatening condition associated with cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases, according to a new study by Mayo Clinic researchers. The study was posted in March on Gastroenterology, the online journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Print publication is scheduled for July.
While therapies have been available to treat some forms of liver disease, including hepatitis C and autoimmune hepatitis, options have been more limited for treating portal hypertension, a condition where there is an increase in pressure within the portal vein that carries blood from abdominal organs to the liver. Portal hypertension is associated with cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases.
According to the study, the drug sivelestat may effectively lower portal hypertension, improving symptoms and outcomes for those patients. The study results were obtained from mouse models but have since been confirmed in liver samples from humans, according to Vijay Shah, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and senior author.
“This was an exciting confirmation of our findings and their applicability to human disease,” Dr. Shah says. “Sivelestat has been safely used in humans with acute lung injury and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. This suggests that sivelestat and similar drugs constitute a potential means to decrease portal hypertension in patients with chronic liver disease.”
The Mayo study showed that deposits of fibrin — microvascular blood clots — contributed to portal hypertension, and inflammatory cells known as neutrophils contributed to the formation of fibrin. By inhibiting neutrophil function with sivelestat, they were able to decrease portal hypertension.
“Neutrophils had not previously been identified as significant drivers of portal hypertension,” says Moira Hilscher, M.D., the paper’s first author. Results were verified in two different models of chronic liver disease.
“The study paves the way for developing new drugs and repurposing of existing compounds to target inflammation in the liver driven by disease-related mechanical forces,” says Dr. Hilscher. “Given the increasing prevalence of advanced liver disease due to alcohol and obesity, this is clearly an unmet need.”
Learn more: Mayo Clinic researchers identify potential new therapy for liver diseases
The Latest on: Liver diseases
via Google News
The Latest on: Liver diseases
- Treatment to Shrink Liver Cancer Tumors Helps Patients Become Eligible for Potentially Curative Transplanton August 1, 2022 at 12:00 pm
Shrinking liver cancer tumors helps patients become eligible for transplant, thus improving their long-term outcomes, according to recent study results.
- Walkathon to create awareness on liver diseases held in Coimbatoreon August 1, 2022 at 5:15 am
A release said nearly 200 post-liver transplant and liver disease patients, doctors attached to the liver transplantation team of KMCH, nurses, staff, medical students of KMCHIHSR and general public ...
- Serious Signs You Have Liver Damage, Say Expertson July 31, 2022 at 5:15 am
The liver is one of the body's most crucial organs, responsible for detoxifying the blood, metabolizing fats and carbs, and producing essential materials that allow the body's other parts to function.
- Mutations in novel gene found to be responsible for severe liver disease in childrenon July 30, 2022 at 5:00 pm
New findings have uncovered how essential the FOCAD gene is for maintaining a healthy liver, especially in children. In a research study published in Nature Genetics, scientists have found that ...
- Night Owls, Beware! Staying Up Late Could Increase Risk Of Fatty Liver Diseaseon July 30, 2022 at 8:31 am
Getting enough sleep is crucial for a healthy mind and body. Night owls, beware! If you’re frequently staying up late, you could get fatty liver disease.
- Fatty liver disease: The sleep habits that could make you at higher risk of the conditionon July 30, 2022 at 5:08 am
FATTY liver disease is a condition with several risk factors depending on the type of disease in question. While some variations have more tailored risk factors, others have more obscure ones, such as ...
- Patients With Liver Disease and COVID Report Extra Hardshipson July 28, 2022 at 10:04 am
The COVID-19 pandemic substantially impacted the daily lives of patients with chronic liver disease, a global cross-sectional study found. Among 2,500 chronic liver disease patients, 11.3% reported ...
- People with poor sleep behaviors may be at risk for fatty liver diseaseon July 28, 2022 at 7:02 am
People with sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy sleep behaviors could develop fatty liver disease, according to new research published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & ...
- Rare Mutations Linked to Protection Against Liver Diseaseon July 27, 2022 at 2:12 pm
Rare germline mutations in the CIDEB gene appeared to protect against liver disease, according to a large human genetics study. In a multi-stage analysis using exome sequencing in over half a million ...
- Scientists identify likely cause of mysterious children's liver diseaseon July 27, 2022 at 3:24 am
Scientists in the U.K. say they have identified the likely cause of a recent outbreak of mysterious liver disease afflicting young children around the world.
via Bing News