Elena Erroba Esquíroz has just presented her thesis at the School of Sciences of the University of Navarra. This researcher from CIMA has participated in the finding of the protective role of the molecule Amphiregulin (AR) in various in vivo models of acute liver damage.

According to this Biochemistry , "in a diseased liver there is an abundant loss of liver function and mass, due to the death of hepatocytes, liver cells. Therefore, several molecular mechanisms are activated in this organ to protect the cells against death and to recover the liver mass lost during the disease".

project and patent

The research developed by Elena Erroba states that "RA participates in these liver defense mechanisms, as it exerts a protective role against hepatocyte death and stimulates the regeneration of liver mass". He therefore suggests that "treating patients with acute liver failure or during liver transplant surgery with RA could be an effective therapy. However, it should be administered in a controlled manner because RA may also be involved in liver cancer development ".

Drs. Carmen Berasáin and Matías ávila, researchers at the area of Gene Therapy and Hepatology at CIMA, have led this thesis , framed in a project that has resulted in a patent. The results obtained by Dr. Erroba, based on observations made on clinical samples and tests carried out in animal models, have been previously published in specialized scientific journals such as Cancer Research, Gastroenterology and The Journal of Biological Chemistry.