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Researchers from Duke Health have discovered a promising method to reverse liver damage caused by stress and aging.

Based on their study, liver damage, including severe scarring and failure, can be reversed and potentially benefit millions of people worldwide.

The study, led by Dr. Anna Mae Diehl, the Florence McAlister Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, investigated the mechanisms behind liver cell death due to aging.

Experiments conducted on mice and human liver tissues revealed that aging promotes a specific type of programmed cell death in liver cells, known as ferroptosis, which is iron-dependent and exacerbated by metabolic stressors like high cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes.

"Our study demonstrates that aging is at least partially reversible," said Dr. Diehl of their findings published in Nature Aging. "You are never too old to get better."

Non-alcoholic liver disease, known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), affects one in three adults globally. Aging is a significant risk factor for MASLD progressing to cirrhosis, a condition characterized by severe scarring and potential liver failure.

The researchers identified a distinct genetic signature in old livers, which included genes that promote the degeneration of hepatocytes, the liver's main functioning cells.

By analyzing human liver tissues, the researchers found that individuals with obesity and MASLD exhibited this genetic signature, with more severe cases showing stronger signals. This provided a clear target for intervention.

The team then administered an investigational drug, Ferrostatin-1, to mice with MASLD. Ferrostatin-1 inhibits ferroptosis, thereby blocking the cell death pathway. Remarkably, the livers of treated mice resembled those of young, healthy animals, even when the older mice continued on a disease-inducing diet.

"This is hopeful for all of us," said Dr. Diehl. "It's like we had old mice eating hamburgers and fries, and we made their livers like those of young teenagers eating hamburgers and fries."

According to Medical Xpress, further analysis indicated that reducing ferroptotic stress in the liver could also mitigate damage to other organs commonly affected by MASLD, such as the heart, kidneys, and pancreas.

The study suggests that addressing liver aging and stress could have broader health benefits.

"Together, we've shown that aging exacerbates non-alcoholic liver disease by creating ferroptic stress, and by reducing this impact, we can reverse the damage," Dr. Diehl concluded.

The research team included Kuo Du, Liuyang Wang, Ji Hye Jun, Rajesh K. Dutta, Raquel Maeso-Díaz, Seh Hoon Oh, and Dennis C. Ko. Their findings offer a promising avenue for future treatments aimed at reversing liver damage and improving the health outcomes for those with liver disease.