Generating hope for liver disease

Scientists have identified a protein essential in the process of liver regeneration. The discovery could lead to treatments for serious liver diseases such as hepatitis.

The protein, caveolin-1, was identified as being necessary for regeneration by a team of scientists from the IMB and the University of Barcelona in Spain.

“The liver has an amazing capacity to regenerate and repair itself after damage, such as heavy alcohol consumption,” Professor Robert Parton, one of the team leaders, said. “But in some diseases, such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, the liver is so damaged that it loses its regeneration capacity. Identifying that caveolin-1 is an essential ingredient in the process of liver regeneration brings us closer to finding treatments for people whose livers are not able to heal themselves.”

The discovery was made by comparing normal mice with mice that were unable to produce caveolin-1. The livers of the vast majority of normal mice were able to regenerate after damage, while three-quarters of the mice without caveolin-1 died if they sustained significant liver damage.

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