Fat can build up quietly inside the liver for years without causing obvious symptoms. But for some people, that buildup is followed by inflammation, scarring, and eventually serious liver disease. Researchers may now have found part of the explanation for why that progression occurs.
Scientists at the University of Utah identified a protein called EFHD1 that appears to play a role in liver injury linked to metabolic liver disease. Their experiments suggest the protein can help trigger an antiviral response inside stressed liver cells, even when there is no virus present.
