Is Help on the Way for Cirrhosis Sufferers?

Cirrhosis of the liver is an issue worldwide, caused by chronic alcoholism, nutritional deficiencies and viruses like hepatitis B, C or D. Symptoms include weakness, exhaustion, fatigue, nausea, weight loss and loss of appetite. In later stages the symptoms may include jaundice, fluid retention in the abdomen and infections.

Treatments for cirrhosis depend upon the cause, for example, cirrhosis caused by alcoholism may be treated by abstaining from alcohol and eating a wholesome diet, while corticosteroids are needed for cirrhosis caused by chronic hepatitis. Severe cirrhosis may call for a liver transplant.

Fortunately, researchers are constantly looking for new ways to prevent and treat cirrhosis. Recently, a group of Japanese scientists did a study on rats that could eventually help those with advanced stages of cirrhosis by reversing it. They found that they could use a molecule coupled with vitamin A to inject a synthetic material called small interfering RNA (SiRNA) into the collagen producing liver cells, blocking the deterioration of the liver.

The researchers found that this injection helped to block and even reverse the effects of cirrhosis. The study isn’t foolproof though; they still need to run human-based clinical trials to determine whether the injections are toxic to humans. They reported that they were at least five years away from knowing if this is a safe treatment for humans.








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