Hepatic

Mouse studies suggest inhibiting ABL1 or its downstream effector MLL4 could help treat hepatic steatosis. In a mouse model of diet-induced hepatic steatosis, liver levels of ABL1 were higher than in normal mice. In mouse models of diet-induced and leptin-deficient hepatic steatosis, the BCR-ABL inhibitor Gleevec imatinib decreased body weight and liver weight and increased red coloration of the liver - a marker of low fat content - compared with vehicle, and in the diet-induced model, Gleevec decreased whole body fat mass and hepatic fat mass. Also in the diet-induced model, knockout of MLL4 decreased fat accumulation in the liver and increased red coloration of the liver compared with normal MLL4 expression. Next steps could include identifying and testing MLL4 inhibitors in the models...