researchers aragonese have identified four new genes involved in the progression of foie gras without alcoholwhich will be used to develop new forms of treatment to slow the progression of this disease.
In this way, the door is thus open to the design of a new therapy to combat the accumulation of fat in the liver, capable of modifying the way in which these genes are expressed and do it through drugs or gene therapy.
This discovery, which was published in ‘The Faseb Journal‘, was carried out by researchers from the ADIPOFAT group, the Aragonese Institute of Health Sciences and the Aragón Health Research Institute in collaboration with various departments of the Miguel Servet University Hospital in Zaragoza.
It’s all about genes SOCS3, DUSP1, SIK1 and GADD45which are expressed both in subcutaneous white adipose tissue and in adipocytes derived from human mesenchymal stem cells.
“The study result highlights their relevance as key players in the contribution of subcutaneous adipose tissue to the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.making them potential targets for future fatty liver therapies,” said the group’s lead researcher, José Miguel Arbonés Mainar.
Study methodology
The researchers focused their study on the molecular mechanisms involved in the formation of subcutaneous white adipose tissue in the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
To do this, they first identified genes in this type of tissue in a total of 45 patients, whose expression was associated with the hepatic steatosis index.
They then proceeded to validate the genes identified in the subcutaneous white adipose tissue of a second cohort of 47 obese patients.
Finally, they obtained stem cells from the fatty tissue of 13 equally obese patients in different stages of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, thus establishing an in vitro model of adipocytes derived from human adipose tissue stem cells.
Liver disease of non-alcoholic degree
The disease of foie gras without alcohol refers to a variety of liver conditions caused by the accumulation of fat in the liver in people who drink little or no alcohol.
One of the main problems for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease is that the mechanisms that determine its progression are not well understood, since many factors are involved and contribute differently to its development.
Obesity is one of the main risk factors in the evolution of this pathology. However, there are also obese people who have a healthy liver, in the same way that there are others without obesity but who suffer from fatty liver because their adipose tissue is not able to store fatty acids. fats adequately and these are redirected to other organs.