“These mice could provide a reliable, low-cost model to identify molecular players in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in both adults and children,” said Dr. Rashmi Kothary. “This is important because there are very few treatments for this condition, which can lead to liver cancer and premature death.”A surprising discovery spearheaded by MD/PhD student Dr. Marc-Olivier Deguise from Dr. Rashmi Kothary’s group could help with a better understanding of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition that affects nearly 1 billion people worldwide.
Dr. Kothary and his team developed a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy and found that in addition to the expected neuromuscular problems, the mice also developed extremely fatty livers within two weeks of birth.
Their latest paper, published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, explores the liver problems in more detail and reveals the development of inflammation as well.
“These mice could provide a reliable, low-cost model to identify molecular players in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in both adults and children,” said Dr. Kothary. “This is important because there are very few treatments for this condition, which can lead to liver cancer and premature death.”
Authors: Deguise MO, Pileggi C, De Repentigny Y, Beauvais A, Tierney A, Chehade L, Michaud J, Llavero-Hurtado M, Lamont D, Atrih A, Wishart TM, Gillingwater TH, Schneider BL, Harper ME, Parson SH, Kothary R.
Core resources: Histology, Imaging
Funding: Cure SMA/Families of SMA Canada, Muscular Dystrophy Association (USA), Canadian Institutes of Health Research, UK SMA Research Consortium, SMA Europe, Tenovus (Scotland), The Euan Macdonald Centre for Research into Motor Neurone Diseases, BBSRC ISP, ERANET E-Rare FaSMALS, Darwin Trust, National Institutes of Health. All research at The Ottawa Hospital is enabled by The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa.
Media Contact
Jenn Ganton
613-614-5253
jganton@ohri.ca
