Studying C5L2 – a potential new target for preventing fatty liver disease

C5L2 - Regulator of fatty liver disease?

People who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop a range of health problems, including a build-up of fat in the liver – called fatty liver disease – which can lead on to serious liver damage. Fatty liver disease can contribute to the risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases. Dr Cordula Stover believes that a protein found naturally in our liver cells, called C5L2, could help to combat the development of fatty liver disease. C5L2 captures fatty acids, meaning that less fat circulates in the blood. Dr Stover has revealed that when mice are fed a high fat diet, levels of C5L2 are increased. Her team have worked out a set of molecular signals that are responsible for raising the levels of C5L2, and that when this signalling ‘cascade’ is prevented, levels of C5L2 fall, and circulating fatty acids are increased. Now the team will compare the liver health of two groups of mice, using specially designed MRI scanning technology. One group will have normal levels of C5L2, the other will be genetically engineered to not have this protein. This is called a ‘pre-clinical’ study, an early step in the process of developing new therapies that could eventually be used clinically in humans. They will also search for new molecules that increase the uptake of circulating fatty acids in cells in the laboratory. This work may lead on to a new medicine to use in conjunction with lifestyle changes to improve liver health in people who are overweight or obese.