[AVX Seminar] miRNAS as biomarkers and targets in metabolic liver disease

Title: miRNAS as biomarkers and targets in metabolic liver disease

Speaker: Cecília Rodrigues

Affiliation: Instituto de Investigação do Medicamento, Faculdade de Farmácia UL

Abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most important causes of liver disease worldwide affecting both adults and children. With 20-30% prevalence, NAFLD will likely emerge as the leading cause of end-stage liver disease in the coming decades. The epidemiology and demographic characteristics of NAFLD vary worldwide, usually paralleling the prevalence of obesity, although a substantial proportion of patients are lean. Chronic liver injury results in inflammatory damage, matrix deposition, parenchymal cell death and angiogenesis leading to progressive fibrosis and later cirrhosis. Genetic polymorphisms, epigenetic marks and cofactors strongly modulate the risk of disease progression. Challenges in NAFLD include accurate identification of patients with simple steatosis and low risk of progression to advanced liver disease versus those with progressive features of the disease. In addition, there is an urgent unmet need for effective therapeutics given limitations of current strategies of life style modifications, such as weight loss and exercise. In this regard, miRNAs warrant full attention.