Scientists at Michigan Medicine have created a new medicine called DT‑109. In tests with animals, this medicine helped fix the gut and made a serious liver problem called MASH get better.
What Is MASH?
MASH stands for metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatohepatitis. It is a bad form of fatty liver disease that can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, or even liver failure. About 7 % of people worldwide have it, and there are few good medicines right now.
How the Medicine Works
DT‑109 is a tiny protein made from three parts, including the amino acid glycine. Researchers discovered that the drug stops a harmful chain reaction that starts in the gut and ends in the liver.
The problem begins when a bacteria called Clostridium perfringens grows too much. This bacteria makes a lot of ammonia, which hurts the gut lining. When the lining gets weak, bad chemicals leak into the blood, travel to the liver, and cause inflammation and an over‑active immune response.
When the animals were given DT‑109, the drug lowered the amount of C. perfringens and cut down ammonia production. The gut barrier became stronger, so fewer harmful substances could slip into the body. As a result, the liver inflammation went down and the overall signs of MASH improved.
Results in Different Animals
Both mice and non‑human primates (animals that are close to humans) showed big improvements. In the primates, the liver looked healthier and the inflammation was much lower, which is promising because their gut and liver work a lot like ours.
More Than Just a Liver Medicine?
Earlier studies also found that DT‑109 can slow down plaque buildup in arteries and stop calcium from forming in blood vessels. This means the drug might help with heart disease too.
Because a leaky gut is linked to many gut problems, scientists think DT‑109 could someday be tested for conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease.
What Comes Next?
The next steps are to test the safety of DT‑109 in people and to start clinical trials. If it works in humans, it could become a safe, effective way to protect both the liver and the heart.
Funding and Interests
The inventors of DT‑109 have filed a patent, and the University of Michigan has licensed the drug to a company called Diapin Therapeutics, which supplied the medicine for the study.