New study raises hope in fight against liver cancer!

👏 Congratulations to our members Lars Zender, Prof. Dr. Stefan Laufer & first author Stefan Zwirner! Together with Scott Nyberg from Mayo Clinic they found promise in a new potential treatment for liver failure.

💊 The new drug candidate “HRX-215” has been shown to increase healing and regeneration of the liver after major surgery, according to their study published in Cell Press. The study found that “HRX-215” inhibits the MKK4 protein found in liver cells. That appears to trigger the self-healing function of the liver, allowing it to regenerate. This groundbreaking mechanism was already discovered by Lars Zender and his laboratory in 2013. Before the drug was tested in 48 healthy volunteers within the Phase 1 study - showing excellent safety and tolerability - it was investigated in animal models. The preclinical study was able to show that the use of HRX-215 increased liver regeneration and prevented liver failure, even after the removal of 85% of the organ.

🔬 Researchers are hopeful that this discovery will one day create more surgical options for patients with advanced liver tumors by allowing more of the liver to be safely removed. Furthermore, the drug would be able to provide more people with a lifesaving livertransplant.

Check out the study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867424002253