As the global demand for liver transplants continues to rise, a researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio is working on alternative treatments for alcohol-associated liver disease by investigating its root causes.
Mengwei Zang, a recognized leader in chronic liver disease at UT Health San Antonio, received a five-year $2.5 million grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, according to a university news release.
Zang, a professor at the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies and the Department of Molecular Medicine at the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, will use the funding to study the pathological mechanisms behind alcohol-associated liver disease.
“Early transplantation for alcohol-associated liver disease is currently the fastest-growing reason for liver transplants, highlighting the urgent need to study the mechanism driving the pathogenesis of alcohol-induced liver damage,” Zang stated.
Alcohol-associated liver disease, caused by excessive alcohol intake, leads to a buildup of fats in liver cells, impairing the organ’s function. Without early intervention, it can progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer. This condition accounts for half of liver disease-related deaths worldwide, according to the news release.
Liver transplants are an option but are not always feasible due to the limited supply of donor livers and the risk of patients relapsing after transplantation. Zang aims to identify alternative treatments through her research.
Recent studies by Zang have shown the lipogenic process’s key role in the progression of alcohol-related liver disease. She explained that excessive alcohol consumption causes lipid accumulation and disrupts hepatocyte homeostasis, triggering an inflammatory response and cell death within the liver.
Zang’s new research suggests that abnormalities in RNA splicing could be a causative factor in alcohol-related liver disease, potentially leading to new treatments to delay or reduce the need for transplants. RNA splicing is a critical process where messenger RNA transforms into mature mRNA. Zang’s team will use innovative RNA sequencing to study RNA molecules and cellular lipid pathways to uncover the root causes of alcohol-related liver disease and develop targeted treatments.
Zang will collaborate with Barshop Institute professors Zianlin Han and Masahiro Morita, and Zhijie “Jason” Liu, associate professor and CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research with Mays Cancer Center and the Institute of Biotechnology.
“Our investigation aims to discover novel targets and more effective treatments for alcohol-related liver injury, which often progresses to liver failure and other organ damage,” Zang said. “Our goal is to combat the epidemic of alcohol-associated liver disease and provide more treatment options for patients with alcohol use disorder.”
