• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Friday, August 22, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Chemistry

Protein controlling magnesium identified as therapeutic target for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
March 4, 2021
in Chemistry
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

Patients with liver disease have significantly elevated expression of CNNM4 protein, which modulates magnesium in the liver

IMAGE

Credit: CIC bioGUNE

An international team of researchers has identified the CNNM4 protein as a key regulator of magnesium in the liver and potential therapeutic target for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, according to a study published in the Journal of Hepatology.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a form of fatty liver disease characterized by inflammation and liver fibrosis, is associated with obesity and has a worldwide prevalence of 1.7 billion people.

Unhealthy nutritional habits and dietary imbalances are recognized as causes of many diseases. Magnesium is widely available in both plant and animal foods; most vegetables, legumes, peas, beans, and nuts are rich in magnesium, as are some seafood and spices. In recent years, there has been growing concern about inadequate magnesium intake in the general population. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 79% of U.S. adults do not meet the recommended intake of magnesium.

In the Journal of Hepatology study–led by Malu Martínez Chantar, principal investigator of the Liver Disease Laboratory at Spain’s CIC bioGUNE and CIBER de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), and Jorge Simon, first author of the publication–the researchers found a higher expression of the CNNM4 protein in both patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and mouse models of the disease. CNNM4 facilitates transport of magnesium out of the liver and is responsible for the imbalance in the levels of magnesium that ends in the development of liver disease.

“These patients have an altered magnesium export machinery that increases the vulnerability of their liver to suffer inflammatory processes, development of fibrosis and fat deposition,” explains Martínez Chantar. “This study also presents a novel therapeutic approach based on GalNac-siRNA technology that specifically targets the liver by modulating CNNM4 levels. The CNNM4 molecule developed from Silence Therapeutics’ proprietary mRNAi GOLD™ (GalNAc Oligonucleotide Discovery) Platform effectively protects from liver pathology in preclinical models of steatohepatitis.”

This molecule opens an unexplored therapeutic window in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

“The study underscores the importance of magnesium balance for supporting liver health. With insight into how this essential metal affects lipid metabolism at the cellular level, possible therapeutic targets for this and other liver pathologies start emerging,” says Daniela Buccella, associate professor of chemistry at New York University and a study co-author.

###

This research was conducted by an international team of scientists from the Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), CIBEREHD, University of the Basque Country, NYU, Silence Therapeutics, CABIMER, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, CIBERDEM, Fundación Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III, and University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla/IDIVAL. The research was funded by several organizations, including the National Institutes of Health (R01-CA217817) and Silence Therapeutics.

Media Contact
Rachel Harrison
[email protected]

Original Source

https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2021/march/magnesium-fatty-liver-disease.html

Related Journal Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2021.01.043

Tags: BiochemistryBiologyChemistry/Physics/Materials SciencesLiverMedicine/HealthPharmaceutical/Combinatorial Chemistry
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

Four Breakthrough Applications Propel TENG Technology into the Spotlight

Four Breakthrough Applications Propel TENG Technology into the Spotlight

August 22, 2025
blank

Unraveling Cation-Coupled Mechanisms in Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Through Electrokinetic Analysis

August 22, 2025

New Study Reveals Hidden Turbulence in Polymer Fluids

August 22, 2025

Deep Learning Framework Unveils the Evolution of Nanoscience Characterization Techniques

August 22, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • blank

    Molecules in Focus: Capturing the Timeless Dance of Particles

    141 shares
    Share 56 Tweet 35
  • New Drug Formulation Transforms Intravenous Treatments into Rapid Injections

    114 shares
    Share 46 Tweet 29
  • Neuropsychiatric Risks Linked to COVID-19 Revealed

    81 shares
    Share 32 Tweet 20
  • Modified DASH Diet Reduces Blood Sugar Levels in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes, Clinical Trial Finds

    60 shares
    Share 24 Tweet 15

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

University of Ottawa Enters the Betavoltaic Battery Commercialization Arena

Calcium Testing in Poultry Unlocks Path to Enhanced Feed Efficiency

Just 37% of US States Mandate Medically Accurate Sexual Education in Schools

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.