Researchers at the Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA) of the University of Navarra and the Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED) of the University of Leon have shown that the protein Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) increased the survival rate of animal models with lethal fulminant hepatitis caused by the RHD virus. This work, which is part of that of the Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), has been published in the Journal of Virology, of the American Society of Microbiology.

Acute liver failure is a very uncommon disease (fewer than 2000 cases per year in the US), which is characterized by the massive destruction of liver tissue caused by viral infections, the ingestion of toxic products or autoimmune reactions. The only solution is a liver transplant, but 30% of the patients die without transplantation. 

Natural defense

CT-1 is a protein with natural defense functions against cell death in the liver. The research team at IBIOMED of the University of Universidad de Leon and at CIMA of the University of Navarra studied its therapeutic effects in models which developed acute liver failure after inoculation with the RHD virus "We found that while all the animals died within three days, 70% of the models treated had long-term survival rates. These surprising therapeutic effects are because CT-1 attenuated the inflammation and increased the production of molecules with hepatoprotective and pro-regenerative activity", said Dr Mª Jesús Tuñón and Dr Jesús Prieto, team coordinators.

The research results suggest that this protein may be an effective treatment in the case of severe acute liver damage. On the basis of these findings, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted CT-1 Orphan Drug status for use in the treatment of acute liver failure. "If its effectiveness is confirmed in clinical trials, this new drug could improve the prognosis for patients with this disease and may reduce the need for transplants", added Dr Prieto. Digna Biotech, a biotechnological company focusing on the development of the products researched at CIMA, has programmed the start of phase 1 clinical trials in the next few months.