"Lifestyle has a major impact on liver disease. In addition to known habits, such as alcohol intake, other behaviors such as tattoos or risky sexual activity are implicated in acquired viral infections", said Dr. Mario Strazzabosco in his visit at research center Applied Medicine (CIMA) of the University of Navarra. This scientist is researcher of the Digestive Diseases Section of Yale University (USA).

In his opinion, society is largely unaware of the progression of liver disease. "We have a lot of information about risk factors that trigger heart problems, but the population is not aware that many diseases can progress to liver cancer. Thus, obesity presents itself as a major factor in liver disease. Therefore, it is important to promote educational measures that allow us to recognize risk behaviors so that we can reduce the impact of the disease".

In the coming years, the number of people with advanced liver disease is expected to increase dramatically, issue . "A large number of these patients will be patients affected by viral hepatitis acquired 10 years ago. In addition to being pathologies with a slow evolution, these patients were not treated with interferon, so they may develop advanced liver disease. The incidence of liver cancer is expected to increase by 100% in the next 10 years".

Yale's researcher advocated the development of new lines of research focused on the origin and treatment of liver disease. "We must work on strategies that help slow the progression of acquired liver disease. Moreover, the knowledge of biology offers a very important role in the clinical approach to the patient. Finally, the development of gene therapy will help preserve the function of the diseased liver."

Optimism for gene therapy

Also visiting the CIMA of the University of Navarra was Dr. Nicolas Ferry, director of research of Hepatic Biotherapy of the University Hospital Center Hotel Dieu, Nantes (France). He stressed that over the last 15 years, clinical activity in liver diseases has benefited from the development of gene therapy. "At first, the research focused on the development of vectors [vehicles] that could efficiently transport genes to patients. Today, several international groups are working on new vectors to optimize their application. The area of Gene Therapy and Hepatology of the CIMA stands out for its expertise in programs of study performed in liver cancer that will allow the design of new therapeutic protocols in the next 3 years".

The French researcher recalled that most liver pathologies are acquired diseases, such as viral hepatitis and liver cancer, but others have a genetic origin. He also showed his optimism for "the possibility that gene therapy will be incorporated into clinical activity in a short time, which will benefit a large issue of patients with liver cancer and viral disease".