To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

"Once the animals were put on the drug, we were able to reverse the disease after a single month with no adverse side effects?while they ate a high-fat diet."

(Jupiter, FL) - Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have developed the first synthetic compound that can reverse the effects of a serious metabolic condition known as fatty liver disease. True to its name, the disease involves an abnormal buildup of fat in the liver.

The compound - known as SR9238 - is the first to effectively suppress lipid or fat production in the liver, eliminating inflammation and reversing fat accumulation in animal models of fatty liver disease. The new compound also significantly lowered total cholesterol levels, although precisely how that occurred remains something of a mystery.

"We've been working on a pair of natural proteins called LXRa and LXRB that stimulate fat production in the liver, and we thought our compound might be able to successfully suppress this process," said Thomas Burris, a professor at TSRI who led the study, which was recently published in an online edition of the journal ACS Chemical Biology. (Photo courtesy: The Scripps Research Institute)

"Once the animals were put on the drug, we were able to reverse the disease after a single month with no adverse side effects - while they ate a high-fat diet."

Fatty liver, which often accompanies obesity and type 2 diabetes, frequently leads to more serious conditions including cirrhosis and liver cancer. The condition affects some 10 to 24 percent of the general population, according to a 2003 study in GUT, an international journal of gastroenterology and hepatology.

Burris and his colleagues designed SR9238 so that it would be quickly metabolized in the liver to minimize migration of the drug into the bloodstream, which could lead to side effects.

In the study, mice were fed a high-fat diet for 14 weeks prior to treatment with SR9238. After one month of treatment, the scientists found that the liver's fat-producing genes were repressed and fat expression in the liver was reduced up to 90 percent.

In addition, the scientists observed an 80 percent reduction of the enzyme responsible for producing cholesterol (3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A Reductase) - the same enzyme targeted by statins.

Markers for liver damage were down as well, which suggests the compound may also have the potential to treat alcohol-related fatty liver damage.

The first author of the study, "A Liver Selective LXR Inverse Agonist that Suppresses Hepatic Steatosis" is Kristine Griffett of TSRI. Other authors include Laura A. Solt, Bahaa El-Dien M. El-Gendy and Theodore M. Kamenecka, also of TSRI.

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

House Passes SAVE America Act, Requiring Photo ID for Voting, Proof of Citizenship

Former Skeptic Who Studied 1,500 Near-Death Experiences Says Evidence Points to Jesus

US Sending 200 Troops to Fight Jihadist Terrorism, and Help Protect Christians in Nigeria

12-year-old Girl Shot in Head, Neck by Canadian Trans School Shooter Survives Surgery, Fundraiser Hits over 63k

Another 'Sharia City?' AG Paxton Investigates New Muslim-Linked Development in Texas

Obama-Appointed Federal judge Releases 4 Illegal Immigrants Convicted of Murder, Sex Crimes from ICE Custody

Trump Reverses Biden-Era Crackdown on Christian Universities

Trump Signs Kennedy Bill Ending Government Payments to Deceased Americans: 'Using Dead Americans to Rip Off Taxpayers Is as Low as It Gets'

1,600 Decisions for Jesus at U of Central Florida: 'Revival Is Not Slowing Down!'

Nancy Guthrie's Pastor Prays for Her Safe Return, Deliverance 'From Evil'

Good News: US Adds 130,000 Jobs in January, Unemployment 4.3%, Defying Expectations

National Police Report: Violent Crime Dropped in All Categories in 2025

Dems Lock Horns with GOP over ICE, as Friday the 13th Deadline for Government Funding Looms

FBI Has 'Substantiated' Irregularities in Georgia 2020 Vote Counts, Probing If They Were Intentional

As Netanyahu, Trump Meet for 7th Time on Iran and Gaza, White House Balances Deal Talk with Threats

'Transgender' Shooter in Canada Leaves 10 Dead, 25 Wounded

HERO: 13-Year-Old Credits God After Miracle 4-Hour Swim to Save Family [Video]

The Young Evangelical Woman behind a Viral Message of Faith and Freedom for Cuba

What Constitution? Progressive States, Cities Join WHO Globalist Network after US Withdrawal

'Largest Act of Deregulation': Trump to Roll Back Obama-Era Greenhouse Gas Rule

Steve Shultz, Managing Editor
Founder and Owner

Aimee Herd, Editor