Liver Disease
Pemafibrate and telmisartan cut liver fat in MASLD animal models, study suggests
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Researchers in Barcelona report that the lipid drug pemafibrate and the blood-pressure medicine telmisartan reduced diet-induced liver fat in rats and in a zebrafish model of fatty liver disease, with a half-dose combination performing as well as full doses of either drug alone. The work, published in Pharmacological Research, also describes a role for the PCK1 protein in telmisartan’s liver effects and argues that clinical trials would be needed to confirm any benefit in people.
Researchers at UCLA have identified senescent immune cells, dubbed 'zombie' cells, that accumulate in aging livers and contribute to fatty liver disease. By eliminating these cells in mice, the team reversed liver damage and reduced body weight, even on an unhealthy diet. The findings, published in Nature Aging, suggest similar mechanisms may drive human liver conditions.
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Researchers at the University of Adelaide have found that blocking the enzyme Caspase-2, previously seen as a potential treatment for fatty liver disease, may increase the risk of chronic liver damage and cancer over time. In genetically modified mice lacking functional Caspase-2, liver cells grew abnormally large and accumulated genetic damage, leading to inflammation, scarring, and tumors. The findings, published in Science Advances, challenge the development of Caspase-2 inhibitors.