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US researchers have made headway in developing a cure for cirrhosis of the liver, giving hope to many struggling alcoholics.

Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver most often caused by severe alcohol abuse.

Researchers at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) found that a drug can block over-production of tissue in response to injury as happens in liver cirrhosis and may also reverse existing damage, the Daily Mail reports.

Studies showed a specially modified protein can stop the tissue growth leading to liver fibrosis.

Martina Buck, assistant professor of medicine at UCSD and the Veterans Affairs (VA) San Diego Healthcare System, and Mario Chojkie, UCSD professor of medicine and liver specialist at the VA, said application of the drug in mice led to blocking of a protein linked to overproduction of scar tissue and not only stopped the progression of fibrosis but reversed some of the cell damage that already occurred.

It was found that the activation of a protein called RSK was critical for the progression of liver fibrosis by stimulating production of collagen after the organ had been damaged.

Dr Buck said: "All control mice had severe liver fibrosis, while all mice that received the RSK-inhibitory peptide had minimal or no liver fibrosis."

"The cells continue to do their normal, healing work but their excess proliferation is controlled.

"Remarkably, it may also allow recovery from liver injury and reversal of liver fibrosis."

The study was published in the science journal PLoS Online.

Article published on 10/01/2008 by DryOutNow.com

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