In both veterinary and human medicine, liver disease is difficult to treat. Even with a clear diagnosis many treatment options fail and there is no curative therapy available. The adult liver harbours a reserve population of cells, the liver stem or progenitor cells, that can repopulate the liver in case of severe or chronic injury. However, in many liver diseases this repair mechanisms is either too little or too late. Recent studies have shown a remarkable similarity between liver diseases of man and dog, not only in pathology but also in the reaction pattern of the progenitor cells upon liver damage. The research performed at the Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals is focus on unraveling the mechanisms of liver progenitor cell activation. The ultimate goal is to target these intrinsic repair mechanisms and to accomplish functional recovery of liver disease using the patient’s own progenitor cells.
In dogs a congenital copper storage disease occurs, that results in chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. This disease highly resembles Wilsons disease in man. New therapeutic strategies that arise from our research can quickly be applied to restore liver function in dogs with copper-induced liver injury. This will provide vital knowledge and expertise for translating new therapies to the human clinic (translational medicine). Our project therefore aims to bridge the gap between fundamental findings and clinical application in both veterinary and human medicine.
