Scientists find why the liver may not heal even after you stop drinking
Researchers have discovered that alcohol-related liver damage persists even after cessation because inflammation disrupts RNA splicing in liver cells. This cellular 'limbo' prevents the organ from regenerating as it normally would.
Why it matters
Understanding the molecular mechanism behind liver failure could lead to new diagnostic tools and treatments for alcohol-associated liver disease, which causes millions of deaths annually.
Excessive alcohol use can interfere with one of the liver's most remarkable abilities: repairing and rebuilding itself after injury. New research suggests that alcohol related damage can leave liver cells trapped in an abnormal middle state, unable to function normally or complete the regeneration process, even after a person stops drinking.
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Duke University, and the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago found that this cellular limbo appears to be driven by inflammation that disrupts RNA splicing, an essential step cells use to turn genetic instructions into working proteins.
The findings, published in Nature Communications , could point toward new ways to diagnose and potentially treat severe alcohol associated liver disease.
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