Liver Disease
The liver plays an essential role in metabolizing all the food and drugs we consume, detoxifying the poisons to which we are exposed, and manufacturing proteins for the body. It is unique because it is the only solid organ that has the ability to completely regenerate in response to disease and injury. Despite this, the liver is susceptible to a number of diseases including cirrhosis and cancer and it can be damaged by viruses like hepatitis. According to the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, one in every 10 Americans is afflicted with a liver-related disease each year.
Liver regeneration is an important part of the body’s response to both acute and chronic liver diseases. Unfortunately, in advanced liver diseases such as cirrhosis, the liver is unable to adequately regenerate itself. By studying the remarkable phenomenon of liver regeneration, researchers hope to find techniques to enhance healthy liver cell growth and thereby improve quality of life for patients with liver disease or injury.
Jeffrey Albrecht, MD, specializes in gastroenterology and conducts research on liver disease at MMRF. He is studying how processes at the genetic level influence the course of liver disease.
Liver cancer disproportionately affects men. Dr Albrecht suspect this has something to do with the way that sex steroids are metabolized in the liver. During liver regeneration, estrogen levels in the liver increase and androgen levels decrease. This phenomenon appears to be controlled by the expression of cyclin-D1, an important proliferation-control gene that regulates cell growth and division.
Dr Albrecht has found that cyclin-D1 regulates enzymes that metabolize sex steroids such as estrogen and testosterone. He has conducted studies on male mice that show when the mice are given supplemental estrogen to aid liver regeneration they experience enhanced liver regeneration and but also an increased risk of tumor development.
As he continues his research on cyclin-D1, he wants to gain a better understanding of the role it plays in the process of cell division and the effects it has on the genetic stability of liver cells. In addition to its role in liver cancer, his research has indicated that cyclin-D1 might play a significant and unexpected role in a number of other metabolic processes.
Currently hiw work is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health. With this support he will continue to investigate cyclin-D1 and its multiple functions. His work is building the knowledge base that will be necessary to develop advanced therapies for liver diseases.
