Class of drugs may treat acute liver failure and prevent need for surgery, say scientists

According to a recently published study, there may be a potential class of drugs that could be administered to people suffering from sudden liver failure that could reduce the need for transplantation surgery.

In studies with mice, a team of scientists found that a class of drugs currently being developed as a cancer treatment has the ability to restore the liver’s regenerative potential after injury.

Although further testing is required, this discovery could offer hope to thousands of patients who are affected by liver failure each year. Acute liver failure is a condition where a healthy liver suffers from severe damage and cannot regrow and recover. In these instances, patients are usually in urgent need of a liver transplant.

When looking at this type of liver injury more closely in mice, it was found that a process called senescence is triggered, which is more commonly associated with ageing or chronic disease.

However, using TGF-beta inhibitors the scientists were able to stop the spread of senescence. Additionally, they found that the treatment helped the liver to regenerate after being injured and as such improved the survival rate of the mice.

“Our research has identified a potential treatment for acute liver failure, which may prevent the need for transplant,” revealed Dr Tom Bird, Wellcome Trust Fellow, Medical Resarch Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine. “This could make a huge difference for patients with ALF and could also help free up donor livers for people with other forms of disease, who might otherwise die whilst waiting for a suitable organ.”

The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, was led by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute in Glasgow.