The protein that researchers have been successfully focusing their attention on for some time now is called MMP10.Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma together with those of the University of Pamplona. An element that can work in favor of the liver in case of 'acute damage', not repeated over time, as in the case of resections of parts of the liver tissue or following intoxications. “In this case – he explains Simone Carotti, Human Anatomy researcher at the Bio-Medico Campus – we discovered that MMP10 promotes the regeneration and repair of liver tissue. On the contrary, in cases of chronic damage, such as in cirrhosis, following chronic viral or metabolic hepatitis, the same protein can instead favor the onset or progression of liver tumors".
The study of the protein's mechanisms of action now promises therapeutic advantages. “In acute cases MMP10, together with other similar molecules, could be used to restore a compromised liver mass, or one that is missing in the event of a transplant of an organ that is too small for the body's needs. This through pharmacological formulations or by promoting the production of the protein by the liver”, explains Carotti. While in chronic cases the idea is to interfere with MMP10 "counteracting the protein through specific inhibitors that could be effective for the treatment of liver cancer", concludes the researcher, who worked on the project.
