China researchers identify potential NASH target

Researchers in China suggested a protein that aids in degrading toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) could be a new therapeutic target for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In a paper published in Nature Medicine, the group tied the protein, transmembrane BAX inhibitor motif containing 1 (TMBIM1), to reduced liver inflammation and lipid accumulation in mouse and primate models, and said the protein's overexpression "effectively inhibited a severe form of NAFLD in mice and NASH progression in monkeys."

TMBIM1 is a lysosome-associated protein that regulates the intracellular trafficking and degradation of proteins, including the pro-inflammatory protein TLR4. The researchers found that adenoviral delivery of TMBIM1 had a protective effect in the livers of genetically obese mice, improving insulin resistance and inflammatory profiles over animals treated with a control vector. Similar results were observed in cynomolgus monkeys challenged with a high-fat diet...