A novel pharmaceutical treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

ended

Development of anti-microRNA therapeutic for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) initiates with excessive accumulation of liver triglycerides and progresses to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis and liver cancer while also modifying brain metabolism. However, NAFLD pathogenesis, the corresponding impact on the brain and the links between them, are poorly understood. In addition NAFLD is largely untreatable. We have discovered that excess microRNA (miR)-132 initiates NAFLD and that miR-132 suppression by oligonucleotide antisense treatment effectively reverses NAFLD in acquired and inherited mouse models. Here we to develop this discovery as a novel and effective pharmaceutical for the treatment of NAFLD, a serious and widespread disease for which there is at present no pharmacological treatment.