J Hepatol: New research could help treat metabolic liver disease.

1/2020 // --- Diabetes, obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are common diseases that can lead to serious health effects.
NAFLD can develop into inflammatory fibrosis and cirrhosis.
not fully understood the molecular causes of NAFLD and NASH, and so far there are no FDA-approved NAFLD drugs.
the main obstacle facing scientists is understanding the causal relationship between NAFLD, diabetes and obesity, which usually occur slotinin in patients and is considered comorbidity.
drug development may fail if it is not clear about their causality and root causes.
teachers at Wayne State University's Eugene Applebaum School of Drug and Health Sciences are leading a team of researchers to understand the causal relationship between the three diseases in an effort to find a cure. Dr.
(photo: www.pixabay.com) Dr. Wanqing Liu, associate professor of drug science at Wayne State University, and his colleague Dr Eugene Y. Chen of the University of Michigan.
recently published a paper in the American journal Of Hepatology, which attempts to understand the molecular causes of NAFLD through large-scale genome analysis of Mendel, a strategy similar to a randomized clinical trial that relies on the natural randomization of genetic allele genes in human populations. "We used genome data from more than 400,000 people in a UK biobank, more than half a million of whom have sequenced their genomes and shared their health data, and we have used genomic data from nearly 900,000 individuals, "
, "the latest data analysis has led us to determine for the first time the causal relationship between NAFLD and type 2 diabetes and obesity.
the team found that NAFLD can be divided into at least two subtypes, mainly "natural" (genetic) and "nutrition" (metabolic syndrome such as T2D or obesity as the main cause of subtypes).
genetically driven NAFLD can promote the development of SARS diabetes characterized by high blood sugar, but not necessarily insulin resistance.
surprising, NAFLD does not lead to overall obesity, but rather promotes the development of central obesity.
this NAFLD subtype is also characterized by low blood cholesterol levels.
T2D and obesity or central obesity can lead to the development of NAFLD.
in this case, NAFLD may be secondary to T2D or obesity.
to further confirm these findings, Liu and his team developed a genetically engineered mouse model with human mutations in the PNPLA3 gene containing 3 patatin-like phosphase (PNPLA3) gene, a known genetic cause of human NAFLD.
researchers, along with a team from Dr. Charlie Dong's lab at Indiana University School of Medicine, used the model to confirm the findings in the human genome data. "This study is important for the classification, diagnosis and drug development of diseases, "
.
In addition, it emphasizes the importance of developing precision medicine for the prevention and treatment of these diseases.
, for example, studies have shown that individuals with a high genetic risk of NAFLD may look 'healthy' because they tend to be lean, have weak resistance to insulin, have low cholesterol levels or maintain normal levels;
for patients with subtypes of the disease, drugs should be developed to focus on genetic causes specific ally for the liver.
on the other hand, people with diabetes and obesity who have a high genetic risk of NAFLD may benefit from weight loss and blood sugar control.
" (Bioon.com) Source: Insight on novel genetic forsys to the original source of the rivers: Zhipeng Liu et al, Causal Houses NAFLD, T2D and obesity and haveers for the disease subphenotyping, Insight Oftheology (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.03.006.