New hope for treating alcohol-related liver disease

21 August 2025

A project funded by The Foundation for Liver Research has revealed how a new type of drug can treat one of the most serious forms of liver disease: fibrosis.

Fibrosis is the scarring that builds up in the liver after long-term damage, often caused by alcohol misuse. As the liver stiffens, it struggles to function, and over time this can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure and even death.

Despite its devastating impact, there are currently no approved treatments for alcohol-related liver disease. But thanks to your support, things may be about to change.

A new way to repair the liver

Two of our senior scientists, Dr Elena Palma and Dr Luca Urbani, led the research at the Roger Williams Institute of Liver Studies. They tested a new drug that blocks a group of proteins called cyclophilins.

These proteins play a key role in how liver damage develops. Drugs targeting them have already shown promise in other forms of liver disease, but until now, people with alcohol-related disease have been excluded from clinical trials.

What makes this study special is how it was done. Instead of relying on animal models, the team used cutting-edge 3D human models developed at King’s. This included slices of healthy liver tissue donated by patients undergoing surgery, and specialised liver cells grown directly from patient samples.

As Dr Palma explained:

“Using real human tissue gives us results that are much closer to what actually happens in patients, rather than animal models that don’t fully capture what happens in alcohol-related liver disease.”
– Dr Elena Palma

The results from the first set of 3D models were striking: the drug reduced fibrosis and softened the stiff, scarred tissue caused by alcohol damage.

Then in a second model, the team zoomed in on the cells that actually create scar tissue – called stellate cells. They found that the drug directly changed the way these cells behaved, reducing the production of stiff proteins that make the liver rigid.

Together, the two models confirmed that the drug could reverse alcohol-induced fibrosis by reshaping the very architecture of the liver.

Powered by teamwork – and patient generosity

This work was only possible because patients at King’s College Hospital donated tissue for research, even at a difficult time in their lives. Dr Urbani stressed how valuable this contribution was:

“Access to fresh human tissue is extremely rare. Our close partnership between scientists and clinicians at King’s made it possible – and it’s what gives this research its real strength.”
– Dr Luca Urbani

The experimental work was carried out by joint first authors of the study Una Rastovic, PhD student, and Dr Sara Campinoti, postdoctoral researcher. The findings from the study, funded by the Foundation for Liver Research and Hepion Pharmaceuticals, were published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

What's next?

The findings suggest cyclophilin inhibitors could become a promising new approach for treating alcohol-related liver disease. The researchers now hope pharmaceutical companies will build on their work and move towards clinical trials in patients.

While a treatment is still some way off, this breakthrough represents a vital step forward in tackling one of the UK’s deadliest yet most overlooked diseases.

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