Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have discovered a major causative factor in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
And the journal Genome Research notes that previous studies have shown that cell nuclei can shrivel, and this is associated with metabolic diseases such as diabetes, fatty liver, and even aging.
In a new study, the researchers found that the appearance of wrinkles on the nuclear lamina affects the activity of genes responsible for the accumulation of fat. When these genes become too active, too much fat accumulates in the liver, leading to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
To confirm these results, the researchers studied liver cells taken from patients aged 21-51 with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and indeed found defects in the nuclear lamina, which acts as a link between the nuclear membrane and genetic material. inside it, which is called chromatin – this is the collection of DNA and proteins that make up the contents of the cell nucleus). This helps explain why different age groups are susceptible to the disease and identify those who are at risk.
According to scientists, there is currently no treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and there is no way to divide patients into risk groups. Therefore, these results may lead to a better division of patients and the creation of a new treatment free of side effects, since the restoration of lamina function leads to the return of the cell to its normal state, compatible with gene expression.
Source: Linta. EN
