Gut-derived bacterial molecule may drive severe liver disease
Researchers at the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, together with international collaborators, have discovered that a small molecule made exclusively by gut bacteria can actively drive disease in the bile ducts and worsen primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a serious liver and bile duct disease.
Researchers from the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital have identified a molecule produced exclusively by gut bacteria that can worsen primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a severe liver disease. PSC is a chronic condition that often leads to liver transplantation and is a leading cause of liver transplants in Norway.
The study, published in Nature Metabolism, targets a specific gut-derived molecule that drives disease progression, offering a potential treatment strategy. PSC affects both the liver and bile ducts, causing inflammation and scarring, leading to impaired bile flow and liver damage. The molecule, imidazole propionate, is produced by gut bacteria and activates a cellular system called mTOR, which regulates inflammation and scarring.
Existing mTOR inhibitors, currently used as immunosuppressants after organ transplantation, may be repurposed as treatments for PSC. Clinical trials to evaluate these mTOR inhibitors are expected to begin within five years.
Written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
