Mind the gap

Area of Science:

• Hepatology and translational medicine
• Drug-induced liver injury (DILI)
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)

Background:

• Significant unmet needs exist in biomedical and clinical research for liver diseases.
• Current animal models demonstrate limitations in accurately predicting and studying human liver injuries such as DILI, NAFLD, and NASH.
• These limitations hinder effective management and therapeutic development for prevalent liver conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the limitations of current animal models in liver disease research.
• To describe how human-derived biological materials are addressing knowledge gaps.
• To emphasize the importance of human tissues and primary cells in advancing liver injury studies.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on drug-induced liver injury (DILI), NAFLD, and NASH.
• Analysis of the predictive and mechanistic limitations of animal models in liver disease.
• Description of studies utilizing human tissues and primary cells for liver research.

Main Results:

• Animal models frequently fail to recapitulate the complexity of human liver pathologies like DILI and NASH.
• Studies using human tissues and primary cells offer more relevant insights into disease mechanisms and drug responses.
• Human-based approaches are crucial for bridging the gap between preclinical findings and clinical outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Human tissues and primary cells are essential for overcoming the limitations of animal models in liver disease research.
• Advancements in understanding and managing DILI, NAFLD, and NASH are being driven by human-based research.
• Translational research utilizing human biological samples is critical for improving patient care in hepatology.