Maria Peleli-Pedersen
Many people suffer today from having a ‘fatty’ and therefore sick liver which is often associated to obesity and cardiovascular diseases. More than 2 million people die per year from liver diseases. Therefore, finding new more specialized and personalized treatments is imperative. Three different liver cell types are involved in ‘fatty liver disease’ but how exactly they interact is poorly understood. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a small endogenously produced molecule and lower levels of H2S is a causative factor to liver disease. The more we understand the role and the exact cellular sources of H2S in the liver, the better treatments we can create. We will inhibit the production of H2S in these three different cell types by creating sophisticated mouse and cellular models. We will also use samples from patients suffering from ‘fatty liver disease’. This approach will help us design more targeted and personalized treatments for patients having a fatty liver and associated pathologies.