Tag Archives: liver

Medications Similar to Wegovy Show Effectiveness in Treating Fatty Liver Disease

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Fatty liver disease can lead to cirrhosis and cancer

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Currently, common medications used for treating obesity and diabetes are showing promise in combating life-threatening liver diseases.

Semaglutide, marketed under names like Ozempic and Wegovi, mimics the hormone GLP-1, which aids in weight loss and regulates blood sugar levels, helps suppress appetite, and promotes insulin secretion. Researchers have now found that this drug therapy can halt or even reverse a condition known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

“This could offer a groundbreaking way to manage this condition,” says Philip Newsom from King’s College London. “It’s incredibly promising for patients.”

MASH, formerly known as NASH, is a severe version of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease marked by inflammation, fibrosis (scar tissue formation), and excessive liver fat accumulation, occasionally leading to cirrhosis and cancer. MASH is commonly linked to obesity and often coexists with type 2 diabetes.

A study conducted in 2020 involving 320 participants revealed that daily semaglutide injections led to a reduction in liver fat and inflammation in 59% of those with MASH. However, a more recent investigation involving 71 patients found no benefits from the weekly dosage.

For a broader perspective, Newsom and Arun Sanyal from Virginia Commonwealth University initiated a larger trial involving 1,195 MASH patients across 253 clinical sites in 37 countries. Participants averaged 56 years old with a body mass index of 34.6, and about 50% had type 2 diabetes.

The physician prescribed each participant a weekly semaglutide injection for four and a half years, gradually increasing the dose to 2.4 milligrams over the first four months, mirroring those used in Wegovy based on prior test findings. Participants also received lifestyle counseling to encourage a healthier diet and exercise.

While the full study is ongoing, results from biopsies taken 72 weeks later revealed that among the first 800 patients, including 266 receiving a placebo, 62.9% of those on semaglutide showed significant reductions in liver fat and inflammation, compared to 34.3% in the placebo group. Improvements in fibrosis were observed in 36.8% of the treatment group versus only 22.4% for the placebo group. About one-third of all treated patients and 16.1% of placebo patients experienced these benefits.

Weight loss alone could explain some of these improvements, as patients in the treatment cohort lost an average of 10.5% of their body weight, while those on the placebo lost only 2%. Although further research is needed to fully uncover the mechanisms behind the treatment, it may also directly target the processes driving the disease.

“It’s not yet established, but part of the efficacy of GLP-1-like drugs might be due to their effects on immune cells and reduction of inflammation,” notes Newsom.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Chinese researchers announce successful liver transplants from pigs into brain dead patients

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Chinese researchers have made progress in the field of inter-animal organ transplantation with a successful pig kidney transplant reported on Wednesday. They believe that pig liver may also prove to be useful in the future.

This Chinese patient is the third person worldwide known to be living with gene-edited pig kidneys. The research team has also successfully experimented with implanting pig liver into brain-dead individuals.

Scientists are genetically modifying pigs to make their organs more human-like in the hopes of addressing the shortage of organ transplants. While previous xenografts in the US were short-lived, two recipients of pig kidneys – an Alabama woman in November and a New Hampshire man in January – have shown promising results. Clinical trials in the US are now commencing.

Nearly three weeks after the kidney transplant, the Chinese patient is reported to be doing “very well” with the pig kidneys functioning effectively, according to Dr. Lin Wang of Xijing Hospital. The patient is a 69-year-old woman who has been suffering from kidney failure for eight years.

The next challenge for xenotransplantation is learning to transplant pig livers. In an experiment reported on Wednesday, pig liver was successfully transplanted into a brain-dead individual for 10 days. While the pig liver produced bile and albumin, essential for basic organ function, it did not perform as well as a human liver.

Dr. Wang believes that the pig liver could potentially support a failing human liver to some extent. In the US, a similar approach is being studied by pig developer Egenesis, where a pig’s liver is externally attached to support a brain-dead individual’s liver function.

In China, the team led by Dr. Wang did not remove the deceased person’s own liver but instead implanted the pig liver nearby.

Dr. Parsia Vagefi, a liver transplant surgeon, commented on the experiment, stating that while it shows promise, there are still many questions that need answers. Dr. Wang’s team plans to analyze the results of another brain-dead individual who received a pig liver transplant.

Last year, another Chinese hospital reportedly transplanted a pig liver into a living patient after removing part of their cancerous liver, but the outcome of the experiment is unclear.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Study suggests ellagic acid as a promising dietary option for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

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Ellagic acid is a polyphenolic, non-flavonoid compound found naturally in a variety of fruits, including pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, and grapes, as well as nuts, including pistachios, pecans, walnuts, and acorns.

Senavirasna othersResearchers are investigating the effects of ellagic acid, an antioxidant found in pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, grapes and nuts, in preventing and potentially reversing the damage caused by fatty liver disease. Image courtesy of Engin Akyurt.

Obesity is epidemic in many parts of the world and contributes to increasing rates of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

This rapidly expanding epidemic is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide.

The prevalence of NAFLD increased from 25.24% in 2015 to 29.38% in 2021.

NAFLD represents a range of pathologies from simple fatty liver (nonalcoholic fatty liver, NAFL) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can progress to more severe conditions including fibrosis.

Currently, no cure exists for the long-term management of NAFLD/NASH, but dietary interventions containing several polyphenolic compounds have been investigated for the treatment of NASH. Ellagic acid is one such compound.

“Ellagic acid, found in a variety of foods including raspberries, pomegranates, blackberries and pecans, is widely known for its antioxidant properties but has also demonstrated anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic and anti-cancer properties,” said researcher Lois Balmer and doctoral student Tarani Senaviratna, both from Edith Cowan University.

“Ellagic acid stands out as a remarkable polyphenolic compound with a wide range of pharmacological properties that may be promising for the treatment of various chronic diseases, including NAFLD.”

“Edible plants containing ellagic acid and its derivatives are recognized as valuable functional foods that promote human health due to their pleiotropic biological effects.”

“Furthermore, evidence suggests that ellagic acid may exert synergistic therapeutic effects when combined with other antioxidant dietary supplements, making it a potential candidate for combination therapy.”

The authors were involved in a previous pilot study investigating the effects of several polyphenolic compounds on NAFLD, with ellagic acid showing the most promise in reducing inflammation.

“Ellagic acid exerts its hepatoprotective properties mainly through scavenging free radicals, modulating cytokine production, and regulating lipid metabolism,” the researchers said.

“Ellagic acid, a potent antioxidant, combats reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activates the NrF2 pathway to reduce oxidative stress and protect the liver.”

“Surprisingly, ellagic acid also inhibits the Nf-kB and MAPK pathways, reducing inflammation during NAFLD/NASH.”

“Evidence also shows that ellagic acid can lower both triglyceride and cholesterol levels and combat de novo lipogenesis, a significant risk factor in the progression of NASH.”

“Test-tube findings suggest that ellagic acid has the ability to reduce fibrosis.”

“Urolithins, the main microbial metabolites of ellagic acid, have been shown to improve the gut microbiota in several mouse models of obesity.”

“Specifically, Urolithin A has been shown to lower LDL and increase HDL levels and is also involved in improving lipid metabolism through gene regulation, while Urolithin C activates the hepatic AMPK pathway, countering the pathophysiology of NAFLD.”

“While the health benefits of ellagic acid and urolithins in NAFLD/NASH are being debated, their biological effects on the liver are still poorly understood.”

“Given that lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance play a role in the development of NASH, the results of this review suggest that ellagic acid may be a potential dietary intervention for NASH, potentially suppressing and even reversing the pathological symptoms of NAFLD/NASH.”

of study Published in the journal Antioxidants.

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Tarani Senavilasna others2024. Elucidation of the therapeutic effects of ellagic acid on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Antioxidants 13(4):485; doi:10.3390/antiox13040485

Source: www.sci.news

Researchers discover new method for treating life-threatening liver condition

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New research reveals the role of omega-3 fatty acids in the fight against non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)

Using innovative analytical techniques, researchers determined that omega-3 targets betacellulin, a protein that contributes to liver fibrosis. This discovery opens new avenues for NASH drug research and highlights the importance of omega-3s in the diet for liver health.

A recent study conducted by Oregon State University revealed new insights into how certain polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly omega-3s, fight serious liver conditions. This discovery paves the way for research into new drugs for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), for which there is currently no FDA-approved treatment.

Scientists including Natalia Shulzhenko, Andrei Morgan, and Donald Jump at Oregon State University used a technique known as multiomic network analysis to find that omega-3 supplements can be used to treat nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. This mechanism involves betacellulin, a protein growth factor that contributes to liver fibrosis and other serious liver conditions.

The results of this research have recently been published in EMBO molecular medicine. NASH is associated with a disease known as metabolic syndrome, and it is crucial to understand the role of omega-3s in the fight against NASH.

In this study, scientists used both a mouse model and human liver transcriptome data to determine that omega-3 PUFAs reduce, or downregulate, betacellulin in both mice and humans with NASH. This discovery not only significantly advances our understanding of how NASH begins and progresses, but also opens new doors for pharmaceutical research. Researchers say the discovery of betacellulin as a new drug target may help explore precision medicine approaches to NASH treatment and liver cancer prevention by using specific omega-3 PUFAs.

In addition to dietary supplements, omega-3 PUFAs can be found in cold-water fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel, as well as in some nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils. Omega-3 PUFAs are essential fatty acids that are not produced by the body but must be obtained from the diet.

Reference:

Jyothi Padiadpu, Manuel Garcia-Jaramillo, Nolan K Newman, Written by Jacob W Pederson, Richard Rodrigues, Zhipeng Lee, Sekhavir Singh, Philippe Monnier, Giorgio Trinchieri, Kevin Brown, Amiran K. Zutsev, Natalia Shulzhenko, Donald B. Jump, Andrei Morgan, 2023 October 20th, EMBO molecular medicine. DOI: 10.15252/emm.202318367

Jyoti Padyap, a postdoctoral fellow in the OSU College of Pharmacy, is the study’s lead author. Other Oregon State researchers who contributed to the paper were Nolan Newman, Richard Rodriguez, Sehajivir Singh, Manuel Garcia-Jaramillo, Jacob Pederson, Jipeng Li, Philip Monnier, and Kevin Brown.

This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Source: scitechdaily.com