| Research in the Laboratory for Experimental Hepatology has two main aims: investigation of the molecular background of liver diseases and development of new therapies for these diseases. We concentrate on liver diseases that are associated with (inherited) defects in the formation of bile. The production of bile has two very important functions: the regulation of lipid secretion and absorption and the secretion of toxic waste products. Although rare, these diseases have very serious clinical symptoms and usually require liver transplantation. Another focus of research is liver fibrosis. Fibrosis occurs in many liver diseases and presents a major clinical problem. New genes involved in liver fibrosis are characterized via genome-wide screening procedures, in the hope to find suitable target genes for antifibrotic therapy. With regard to treatment of disease, the laboratory mainly concentrates on the development of gene therapy. On the one hand viral vectors are developed for the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors while on the other hand vectors are manufactured containing the therapeutic genes that are lacking in inherited liver diseases. Since the latter require permanent expression we use vectors derived from retroviruses, which integrate in the genome. Safe derivatives of the HIV virus turn out to be particularly suitable for this purpose. Finally, a new system of bioartificial liver support has been developed to bridge the critical period in patients with acute liver failure who are waiting for a suitable donor liver. This system is now in the phase of clinical trial. |
