Science
Scientists Find Enzyme That May Slow Fatty Liver Disease Damage
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A mouse study found that a natural enzyme may help limit fatty liver disease damage. The disease affects an estimated 100 million Americans, but the findings do not yet establish a treatment for people.
100 millionAmericans estimated to have fatty liver disease
The facts
- 1Fatty liver disease, now often called MASLD, develops when excess fat builds up inside liver cells over time.
- 2A Cedars-Sinai-led preclinical study found that the enzyme UBE2N helps liver cells remove damaged mitochondria, the structures that supply energy.
- 3The condition already affects an estimated 100 million people in the United States, often without any noticeable early symptoms.
- 4Left untreated, the disease can progress to inflammation, scarring called cirrhosis, and in severe cases liver cancer.
- 5Restoring UBE2N reduced fat, inflammation and scarring in laboratory mice. This early result does not establish that boosting the enzyme is a safe or effective treatment for people.
Why it matters
Fatty liver disease is common and frequently silent until it is advanced; finding a natural molecular defense opens a path toward catching and treating it earlier.
Sources
- ScienceDaily: This protective enzyme could help stop fatty liver disease from getting worse
- Cedars-Sinai: Study: Enzyme May Help Protect Against Severe Liver Disease
Correction : The reported benefits were observed in mice. They do not establish a treatment for people. An earlier version also incorrectly credited NIDDK as a source.
