Dr Ziyan Pan is first author on this study, and a researcher at WIMR\u2019s St![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/3d3ae87c-feca-498f-9fc1-81691e3d301c_222_292.jpg\")
orr Liver Centre.\u00a0 He says, \u201cThere are currently no anti-fibrotic drugs available, but they are urgently needed.\u00a0 So, discoveries like this, identifying a potential gene target to reduce fibrosis, is very exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Why MERTK?<\/strong> \u201cWe know that the MERTK gene influences TGF\u03b2 function in both human and animal models by promoting signaling that induces fibrosis.<\/p>\n \u201cOur research team was able to demonstrate that deleting the MERTK gene in animal models prevented fibrosis from developing in liver, kidney and lungs. We went on to show that a treatment that inhibits MERKT was able to reduce the severity of existing fibrosis.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile our study focused on reducing liver fibrosis, the basic process of fibrosis is similar in all organs, and we were excited to see, for the first time, the potential to reduce kidney and lung fibrosis as well.\u201d<\/p>\n A treatment for multiple organ fibrosis is urgently needed<\/strong> It is estimated that\u00a0liver<\/strong>\u00a0cirrhosis (the development of fibrosis and nodules that reduce liver function) affects at least one in 200 Australians[2]<\/a>, and is associated with 2.4% of global deaths[3]<\/a>.<\/p>\n 1.7 million adult Australians have biomedical signs of chronic\u00a0kidney<\/strong>\u00a0disease (CKD)[4]<\/a>, of which fibrosis is an early indication. Globally, approximately 1.2 million people die from CKD each year[5]<\/a>.<\/p>\n Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is the most common form of pulminary fibrosis (lung<\/strong>\u00a0scarring), with more than 2,170 people Australians diagnosed each year[6]<\/a>, and around 3 million people worldwide[7]<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yet, despite fibrosis increasingly identified as a global health burden, currently, there are no anti-fibrotic treatments available.<\/p>\n Professor Mohammed Eslam says, \u201cThis is why these findings are so important.\u00a0 The ability to develop treatments to prevent and reduce fibrosis in, not only the liver, but also for the first time, kidneys and lungs, is exciting.\u00a0 However, I feel this is the tip of the iceberg.\u00a0 There are many other organs that are susceptible to fibrosis that could benefit from these findings. The potential global impact of these findings is profound.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nDr Pan explains, \u201cThe primary driver behind the process of fibrosis is a protein called transforming growth factor-\u03b2 (TGF\u03b2).\u00a0 While it may seem logical to target TGF\u03b2 to reduce fibrosis, TGF\u03b2 is also involved in many other biological processes, so this makes it difficult to target without impacting its other functions.<\/p>\n
\nProfessor Mohammed Eslam, Deputy Director of WIMR\u2019s Storr Liver Centre and corresponding author on the study, says, \u201cFinding an anti-fibrotic therapy that is suitable for multiple organs has proven to be extremely challenging, which is why our research findings are so important.\u201d<\/p>\n