Hormones Have the Potential to Treat Liver Fibrosis
Published:05 Dec.2023 Source:University of Southern Denmark
Hormone therapy may be associated with menopause and fertility treatment, but now an SDU-led research team reports that certain intestinal hormones seem to have a beneficial effect on the processes behind the formation of scar tissue in the liver (liver fibrosis).
Liver fibrosis may occur as a result of liver diseases such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and currently, there is no medical treatment to cure liver fibrosis. The processes that initiate the formation of scar tissue in the liver, i.e., fibrosis, are cellular. Researchers report that they have found previously unknown changes in the cell types responsible for fibrosis formation. These are the liver's so-called stellate cells, named for their star-like appearance.
One way to deactivate stellate cells is to expose them to certain intestinal hormones, the team discovered. Research on liver fibrosis is ongoing worldwide, with many efforts focused on developing effective drugs. Unfortunately, these often come with serious side effects and for this reason, they are not approved. The researchers will now continue studying stellate cells and their surface receptors in patient samples.