A research team at Yonsei University College of Medicine has discovered a substance that can treat nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
The research team, led by Professors Lee Yong-ho and Bae Soo-han, synthesized a single double-target protein by linking GLP-1 and GLP-2 hormones, used as therapeutic substances for NASH, and conducted a mouse experiment to check its efficacy.
According to the university, GLP-1 hormone regulates the secretion of insulin that lowers glucose (blood sugar) and appetite, and GLP-2 hormone creates an intestinal environment for nutrient absorption. To address the various etiologies of NASH, the team created a new substance by combining the two hormones.
Afterward, the team confirmed the efficacy of a NASH mouse model by administering GLP-1, GLP-2, and GLP-1 and 2 hormones dual-target protein to mice at two-day intervals for four weeks and compared changes in liver triglycerides and fibrosis.
As a result, the team confirmed that mice that received GLP-1 and 2 hormones dual-target protein reduced triglycerides (22 and 46 percent) and liver fibrosis (30 and 40 percent) compared to mice administered with GLP-1 and GLP-2.
Also, by analyzing mouse feces, the researchers confirmed whether the intestinal microbes derived from the dual-target protein had a therapeutic effect on NASH as the gene mRNA expression, which causes liver inflammation and fibrosis, decreased along with lipopolysaccharide, which causes sepsis, in the mice’s feces.
“Because NASH has diverse causes and patterns of occurrence, there is a need for multi-targeted therapies rather than single-targeted therapies,” Professor Lee said. “As no treatment has yet received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, GLP-1 and 2 hormones dual-target protein will be a stepping stone to the success of the development of a treatment with a new mechanism.”
NASH, caused by the accumulation of large amounts of fat in the liver, mainly happens due to excessive nutrition tied to westernized eating habits and lack of exercise. Even if a person does not drink alcohol, the body uses the remaining nutrients as triglycerides, accumulating in the liver.
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of NASH patients increased to 100,000 in 2019, 2.5 times higher than 2015.
Hepatology published the results of the study in its latest issue.