Seongpil Suh's Research Team at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital
Antiviral Drug 'Tenofovir Alafenamide'
Suppresses Inflammation-Inducing Proteins in Liver Cells in Animal Models
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] A study has attracted attention by showing that an oral chronic hepatitis B treatment drug is effective for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which currently has no specific treatment.
Professor Seong Pil-soo of the Department of Gastroenterology at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, and researcher No Pureun, a master's student in Biomedical Health Sciences, announced on the 24th that their research team first demonstrated that the drug tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) improves NAFLD using an animal model.
TAF was approved in 2016 in the United States as an oral treatment for adult chronic hepatitis B patients. Compared to existing chronic hepatitis B drugs, it has a differentiated mechanism of action that delivers the active ingredient more efficiently to liver cells due to improved plasma stability.
The research team confirmed that when TAF was administered in an animal model, blood ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and AST (aspartate aminotransferase) levels improved, and liver cell damage decreased. They also first demonstrated that TAF improves NAFLD by inhibiting AKT protein activation within liver cells (mononuclear phagocytes in the liver), resulting in an anti-inflammatory effect. AKT is an important protein that causes inflammation when activated.
NAFLD is associated with metabolic diseases such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The main causes are westernized diets, lack of exercise, and individual genetic defects. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of patients visiting hospitals for NAFLD increased by more than 40% over five years, from 283,038 in 2017 to 405,950 last year. If left untreated, NAFLD can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
Professor Seong said, "It is meaningful that we provided theoretical evidence explaining why TAF has a significantly higher rate of liver function normalization compared to other antiviral drugs," adding, "Currently, there are no approved drugs for treating NAFLD, so we recommend patients actively lose weight, follow appropriate dietary therapy, and engage in aerobic exercise. If a standard treatment method is established based on this research, it could prevent progression to severe liver diseases."
The research results were published in the international pharmacology journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. The patent has been filed, and clinical trials and technology transfer to pharmaceutical companies are planned.
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