Liver cirrhosis could be reversed - study

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Liver cirrhosis could be reversed - studyBy Ben WassermanDec 27, 2007 - 10:11:46 PM

THURSDAY DEC 27, 2007 (Foodconsumer.org) -- Liver cirrhosis in humans might be reserved someday by simply taking a medication, according to a study published Dec. 26 in the journal Public Library of Science Online.

The best conventional treatment for severe cases of liver cirrhosis is a liver transplant, which is not always available or even viable for all patients with the condition.

The study led by a Buck at the University of California San Diego and colleagues found a drug-based remedy could train cells and make it feasible to treat liver cirrhosis or prevent it without a transplant.

However, the study results were based on an animal model, meaning that the results may not necessarily be applicable to humans. Furthermore, Buck was cited by Healthday.com as saying that it could take up to 10 years for a drug to reach the market even if a drug company was eventually intrigued to develop it and test it in clinical trials.

The potential drug may also help conditions such as viral hepatitis, fatty liver, pulmonary fibrosis, scleroderma and burns, the researchers said.

In the study, Buck and colleagues produced in genetically engineered mice a protein that proved to be protective against scarring and tested it on mice with severe liver fibrosis that resulted from chronic exposure to a toxicant known to cause damage to the liver.

They found the protein appeared not only to protect the mice with the liver from scarring, but also actually treated the scarring in mice that had already developed cirrhosis, Buck said.

People may not have to wait to use the future drug to prevent and or treat liver cirrhosis, a scientist affiliated with foodconsumer.org suggested. To prevent the condition, they can avoid abusing alcohol, using high fat diet and dairy protein. These are things that have been linked to high risk of liver disease including cancer.

For more information on liver cirrhosis, read the following cited in verbatim from http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/cirrhosis_ez/

http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/C_ancer_31/122710112007_Liver_cirrhosis_could_be_reversed_-_study.shtml