Scientists have discovered how aging causes the loss of some liver cells. They were able to reverse this process in old mice using an experimental drug. The results of the research were published in the journal The Aging of Nature.
The liver is considered one of the most resilient organs because it can regenerate itself. But stress and aging can still cause serious diseases. For example, one in three people suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which leads to scarring and cirrhosis of the liver. Aging is a major risk factor for cirrhosis in NAFLD.
In the new study, scientists compared the livers of young and old mice. In older animals, genes associated with the loss of hepatocytes, the main functioning cells of the liver, were more active.
Scientists have shown that the experimental drug ferrostatin-1 can prevent hepatocyte loss. It prevented ferroptosis (cell self-destruction), in which iron plays a key role. The drug “revived” the livers of mice on an unhealthy diet. The analysis showed that the livers of the old mice differed little from the healthy, young ones. The animals also had healthier hearts, kidneys and pancreases. This means that liver damage can worsen the condition of other organs.
“Our study shows that liver aging is at least partially reversible,” the authors said.
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