Leprosy may hold key to curing liver disease

By Mark Waghorn via SWNS

Leprosy may hold the key to curing liver disease and end the need for transplants, according to new research.

The ancient infection harbors a bug that programs cells to regenerate the vital organ - increasing its size without causing damage, scarring or tumors.

Experiments on armadillos suggest it could be adapted to combat a growing health crisis. Liver disease is generally triggered by obesity - and affects 20 million Britons.

It initially causes no symptoms, making it hard to spot until it is too late. Ultimately, this leads to liver failure, leaving patients in need of a transplant.

The armored mammal carries Mycobacterium leprae which causes leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease.

Lead author Professor Anura Rambukkana, of the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Regenerative Medicine, said: "If we can identify how bacteria grow the liver as a functional organ without causing adverse effects in living animals, we may be able to translate that knowledge to develop safer therapeutic interventions to rejuvenate aging livers and to regenerate damaged tissues."

Leprosy has haunted humanity for thousands of years leaving victims scarred and deformed.

Historically lepers have been near-universally reviled - locked in colonies, forbidden from marrying and expelled from cities.

Their appearances in literature, whether in Chaucer or the Bible, paint them as morally unfit and brimming with ill will.

But the evidence is growing that Mycobacterium leprae can reinvigorate aging livers and increase disease-free living time in humans.

It would help address the chronic donor organ shortage. Currently, the only option for people with end-stage scarred livers is a transplant.

Previous attempts at boosting mouse livers with an invasive technique using stem cells capable of being any type of tissue resulted in scarring and tumors.

Prof Rambukkana and colleagues overcame the harmful side effects by turning to Mycobacterium leprae.

They discovered it performing "biological alchemy" - turning nerves into stem cells and muscle in a natural host's body.

The team, including colleagues at the US Department of Health and Human Services in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, infected 57 armadillos with the parasite.

They compared their livers with those of uninfected armadillos and those that were found to be resistant to infection.

Infected animals developed enlarged yet healthy and unharmed livers with the same vital components such as blood vessels, bile ducts and functional units called lobules.

The bacteria 'hijacked' the inherent regenerative ability of the liver to increase the organ's size and provide it with more cells within which to increase, they said.

They also found the main liver cells, known as hepatocytes, had reached a "rejuvenated" state.

The infected armadillos' livers also contained gene expression patterns, the blueprint for building a cell, similar to those in younger animals and human fetal livers.

Genes related to metabolism, growth and cell proliferation were activated and those linked with aging were downregulated or suppressed.

It is believed the bacteria reprogrammed the liver cells, returning them to the earlier stage of progenitor cells, which in turn became new hepatocytes and liver tissue.

The findings in the journal Cell Reports Medicine have the potential to help develop interventions for aging and damaged livers in humans, Prof Rambukkana added.

Liver diseases claim two million lives worldwide each year.

It often goes undiagnosed - and can lead to cardiovascular disease. Known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), it is triggered when vast amounts of fat gather.

The life-threatening condition sometimes results in inflammation, scarring and even organ failure.

Prevalence could be even higher given the challenges in diagnosis. Unhealthy diets of fast food and soda are fuelling the epidemic.

It increases the risk of serious liver damage - including cirrhosis. Lifestyle changes are the cornerstone of treatment.

These include cutting down on processed foods such as burgers, sausages, pizzas, cakes, candy and eating more fiber-rich vegetables and whole grains.

A Mediterranean-style diet and avoiding alcohol are recommended by a consortium of professional groups.

As people pile on the pounds, they are being diagnosed with the often symptomless condition at a much younger age.

Rather than being in their 60s or 70s, they are in still their 30s or 40s. Worryingly, many are only slightly overweight.

It has been dubbed 'human foie gras' as it happens in much the same way as a goose liver is fattened for the French delicacy.