From shift workers to flight attendants, disruptions in circadian rhythms are a risk factor for metabolic disorders. Several sessions held at the recent EASL meeting focused on that link, and how disturbances in the internal clock may increase the risk of hepatic disorders.
Benobio Co. Ltd. has synthesized novel quinizarin derivatives acting as bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) protein inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
At the ongoing EASL meeting, researchers from Hepagene Therapeutics Inc. presented preclinical data for the novel thyroid hormone receptor β (THR-β) agonist HPG-7233, being developed for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes had a 44% reduction in liver fat after receiving Inventiva Pharma SA’s PPAR agonist, lanifibranor, in a phase II trial, findings that caused the Daix, France-based company’s stock to soar.
Deregulation of enzymes that control lipid turnover such as adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) is an essential contributor to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Recent studies suggest that a fraction of the cytosolic pool of ATGL is proteasomal degraded by E3 ligase constitutive photomorphogenesis protein 1 (COP1).
Echosens SA obtained clearance from the U.S. FDA to expand the indications for screening with its Fibroscan system. The approval removes contraindications for pregnancy and active implant and includes patients with confirmed or suspected liver disease. It designates Fibroscan as a noninvasive aid for clinical management, diagnosis and monitoring of adult and pediatric patients with liver diseases. The age has been removed as the first selection probe and exam-type step.
Resalis Therapeutics Srl closed a €10 million (US$10.6 million) seed round to progress toward the clinic a micro-RNA (miR) inhibitor in development for metabolic disease indications. Riccardo Panella, chief scientific officer and founder, identified the potential of a particular miR species, miR-22, as a target for metabolic syndrome while conducting studies on its potential role in oncology while at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Researchers from Yale School of Medicine, along with Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, have reported data from a study that aimed to assess the effects of a common variant in hydroxysteroid 17-β dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13 rs72613567-A) in the liver.
Insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is associated with hepatosteatosis and the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with the pathogenesis of NAFLD being complex and involving the crosstalk between the liver and white adipose tissue (WAT).
