Molecule that Repairs Liver Wounds Identified

Molecule that helps in the repair of liver wounds has been discovered by a team of researchers. CD26/DPP-4 is a promising biomarker for hepatic disease.

A molecule called CD26/DPP-4 was discovered, which helps in the regeneration of acute liver wounds and is a potential biomarker for hepatic disease, reveals a new study.

It is known that DPP-4 regulates insulin secretion upon food intake. The regulation of the levels of "sugar in the blood" in type-2 diabetics is performed by therapeutic inhibition of enzymatic activity of the molecule CD26/DPP-4. This approach has earned clinical relevance.

Blueberries Beneficial for People With Liver Diseases
A new research indicates that blueberries could provide relief to patients suffering from liver diseases - especially hepatic fibrosis.

‘CD26/DPP-4 is a promising biomarker for hepatic disease and helps in regeneration of acute liver wounds.’

Moreover, apart from its role in the control of the amount of sugar present in blood, the molecule DPP4 appears to be related with inflammatory reactions in various pathological processes.

A new study from researchers of CEDOC-NOVA Medical School|Faculdade de Ciências Médicas and Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência was led by Maria Paula Macedo and Carlos Penha-Gonçalves, respectively, and was published in Hepatology Communications.

In this study, the researchers explored the role of CD26/DPP-4 during injury of the hepatic tissue leading to evident reduction of the main liver immune cell population (Kupffer cells). It was shown that the blood levels of CD26/DPP-4 enzymatic activity are augmented when this population of liver immune cells is diminished, both in acute and chronic mouse models of liver injury.

Genetic Causes of Liver Disease in Obesity Identified
DNA methylation is related to liver disease known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among obese patients, research at The Translational Genomics Research Institute finds. The team also identified four genes that can cause the disease.

Inversely, the levels of blood enzymatic activity decreased during recovery of these cells.

The authors observed that specific deletion of such immune liver cell population in absence of liver tissue damage also lead to significant increase in CD26/DPP4 blood enzymatic activity. Thus, these results show the close relation between functional changes in Kupffer cells associated with hepatic diseases and the molecule CD26/DPP-4.

Aortic Plaque may Contribute to Fatty Liver Disease Progression
New research sheds light on the long-term effects of highly inflamed plaques on the progression of liver fibrosis.

The relation between the liver immune cells and the enzymatic activity of CD26/DPP-4 in the blood, exhibited in this study, suggests that the level/amount of the enzymatic activity of the molecule CD26/DPP-4 in the blood might be used as a biomarker.

Moreover, it can become a valuable biochemical parameter for the evaluation of hepatic lesion or disorder since so far can this evaluation can only be performed using invasive techniques.

Gut Bacteria may Help Detect Early Stages of Liver Disease
Gut bacteria markers could be a 'smoking gun' for the early stages of liver disease. This finding shows that chemical by-products produced by the microbes living inside us may be used as early warning signs of disease.

Source-Eurekalert