Researchers identify protein vital in liver repair

Research conducted by Associate Professor Thomas Grewal from Sydney Pharmacy School has found that rebuilding the liver after serious injury relies on a protein called annexin A6. The full report was recently published in a top international journal Hepatology.

To rebuild a healthy liver after injury, the body takes over the vital liver functions, especially managing energy in the form of glucose. Researchers revealed an important connection between muscle, which releases essential amino acids, the building blocks that liver cells then use to manage glucose and energy demands.

These building blocks need to enter liver cells from the blood with the help of transporters. In these liver surgery experiments, mice who lacked the critical factor annexin A6 did not make these transporters, preventing liver recovery. Using highly innovative annexin A6 liver gene therapy after surgery restored a healthy liver and ensured survival of these animals.

“The research is highly relevant for the increasing number of patients worldwide that suffer from severe liver disorders, where the only cure is a liver transplantation”, said senior author Associate Professor Thomas Grewal.

This type of surgery commonly involves partial donor liver transplantation, which then needs to rebuild a full-size and healthy liver. These findings advance current approaches to overcome liver failure and could significantly help to reduce its clinical impact.

Besides gene therapy approaches aiming to elevate annexin A6 levels in the liver, these findings could also have dietary implications for transplant patients in order to provide a better prognosis for a successful recovery and rebuilding of a healthy liver after surgery.

The Hepatology publication is the culmination of seven years of research and is a collaboration of researchers at the University of Sydney with researchers in London and Barcelona, as well as current PhD students in Professor Grewal’s team.

Associate Professor Grewal has been collaborating with Professor Carlos Enrich from the University of Barcelona (Faculty of Medicine) in Spain for 20 years on the pathways that determine liver physiology in health and disease.