A team of researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently developed a new drug that shows promise for limiting liver fibrosis progression in mice, which may prove useful for humans as well.
In the study, the drug limited liver fibrosis progression within mice. If the same drug proves successful in human studies, then it could be a sign of significant progress for people with liver fibrosis.
As of today, no treatment is available for liver fibrosis. This health condition typically results in major liver disease among people who have chronic alcoholism or other health conditions.
“Fibrosis is a multifactorial, complex disorder that can benefit from simultaneous targeting of more than one cellular process,” Dr. George Kunos, senior author and NIAAA scientific director, said.
As a liver gradually scars, it is called liver fibrosis. This can be the result of obesity, viral hepatitis or diabetes. People with liver fibrosis typically develop liver cancer or cirrhosis later in life.
“This study represents an important step towards an effective treatment for liver fibrosis,” Dr. George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of NIH, said.
The study is available in JCI Insight online.
