A time-honored disease can actually regenerate the liver!

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae and is one of
the oldest and most persistent diseases in the world.
It affects the skin, nerves, and mucous membranes and can lead to severe disfigurement and disability
if left untreated.
However, new surprising research suggests that the bacteria that cause leprosy may also have the ability to stimulate the growth and regeneration of livers in adult animals without causing damage or scarring
.
Scientists have discovered that parasites linked to leprosy can reprogram cells to make the liver bigger
.

The findings suggest that it is possible to use this natural process to restore an aging liver and extend the time humans live disease-free life, i.
e.
a healthy lifespan
.
It is also possible to use this process to regenerate a damaged liver, potentially reducing the need for a liver transplant, which is currently the only effective treatment
for people with severe liver damage.

Previous research has promoted the regeneration of mouse livers by producing stem and progenitor cells — stem cells that can become any type of cell for a specific organ — through an invasive technique that often leads to scarring and tumor growth
.
To overcome these harmful side effects, the University of Edinburgh researchers built on
the ability to reprogram parts of the cells of their previously discovered leprosy-causing bacterium, Mycobacterium leprae.

The team, in collaboration with the U.
S.
Department of Health and Human Services in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, infected 57 armadillos (the natural reservoir of the leprosy bacteria) and compared
their livers to those of uninfected armadillos and those found to be resistant.

They found that the livers of infected animals became larger but healthy and unharmed, and that the livers had the same important components as uninfected and resistant armadillos, such as blood vessels, bile ducts and functions
called lobules.

The team believes that the bacteria "hijack" the liver's inherent ability to regenerate, thereby increasing the size of the organ, which provides it with more cells
.
They also found several indicators indicating that in infected armadillos, the main species of liver cells had reached a state
of "rejuvenation.
"

The liver of infected armadillos also contains gene expression patterns — blueprints that build cells — similar to those found in the livers of young animals and human fetuses
.
Genes associated with metabolism, growth, and cell proliferation are activated, while genes associated with aging are downregulated or inhibited
.
Scientists believe this is because the bacteria reprogram liver cells to revert them to earlier progenitor cells, which in turn become new liver cells and grow new liver tissue
.

The team hopes that the findings may help develop interventions
that target aging and damaged livers in humans.
Currently, 2 million people worldwide die each year from liver disease
.

Lead author Professor Anura Rambukkana, from the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Regenerative Medicine, said: "If we can determine how bacteria grow the liver into a functional organ without causing adverse effects in living animals, we may be able to translate this knowledge into safer therapeutic interventions to rejuvenate an aging liver and regenerate damaged tissue
.
"

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