Scientists have found an enzyme that can protect the liver from fatty liver disease

Fatty liver disease can progress to a condition in which the organ develops inflammation, cell damage and scarring of tissues. Scientists have discovered an enzyme associated with protecting liver cells from fat accumulation and mitochondrial damage. How the UBE2N enzyme may be associated with the progression of fatty liver disease is described in the Izvestia article.

How the UBE2N enzyme protects the liver

The study was published in the scientific journal Nature Metabolism. Scientists led by specialists from Cedars-Sinai Medical University have studied the role of the UBE2N enzyme in the development of metabolically associated steatotic liver disease. The work was of a preclinical nature.

Liver steatosis is characterized by the accumulation of excess fat in the liver. In some patients, the disease may develop into a more severe form — metabolically associated steatohepatitis, in which inflammation, cell damage, and scarring of the liver join fatty deposits.

The researchers found that as the disease progressed, the amount of UBE2N in liver cells decreased. According to scientists, the enzyme helps to remove damaged mitochondria and supports the breakdown of fats.

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What happens to liver cells

In a new study, scientists have found a link between a decrease in UBE2N levels and an increase in the number of damaged liver cells. When there was less enzyme, the researchers observed more pronounced signs of organ damage.

According to Ekihiro Seki, professor of medicine and biomedical sciences at Cedars-Sinai Medical University, UBE2N appears to protect the liver from inflammation and damage by helping to get rid of damaged mitochondria and supporting fat breakdown.

The restoration of the enzyme changed the condition of the liver

The researchers then restored normal levels of UBE2N in the liver of laboratory mice. After that, they observed a decrease in fat accumulation, inflammation, and tissue scarring. The results suggested that UBE2N may play a protective role in the development of fatty liver disease. In particular, the enzyme can be involved in maintaining the normal state of mitochondria and preventing processes associated with cell damage.

In this case, we are talking about experiments on animals. Therefore, the results cannot yet be directly transferred to humans and considered as evidence that changing the level of UBE2N can stop the development of the disease in patients.

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Why mitochondria are important

Since liver steatosis is considered the most common form of fatty liver disease, but can progress to steatohepatitis in some people, scientists are trying to understand which cellular mechanisms determine the transition from relatively early changes to more severe liver damage. The new work points to a possible role for UBE2N in this process.

The researchers paid special attention to the ability of cells to get rid of damaged mitochondria. If such structures accumulate, it can disrupt the functioning of cells and be accompanied by further damage to the liver.

What will the following studies show?

The results allow us to consider UBE2N and its associated protective mechanism as a direction for further study. In the future, scientists will have to figure out whether it is safe to enhance this pathway and whether this will affect the progression of the disease in humans.

However, at this stage, the detected effect is shown only in a preclinical study. Additional work will be required to assess the value of UBE2N in human fatty liver disease.