An enzyme called UBE2N may help prevent the most common form of liver disease from progressing to liver failure, a preclinical study has found.

Researchers co-led by Cedars-Sinai found that levels of the UBE2N enzyme in liver cells decline as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease advances to the more serious stage known as MASH. When they restored the enzyme to normal levels in the livers of laboratory mice, fat buildup, scarring and inflammation were reduced.

About 100 million people in the US have this liver condition, and 20 to 25 percent progress to MASH, where excess fat leads to inflammation, cell damage and scarring. Treatment options remain limited and there is no cure.

Co-corresponding author Ekihiro Seki said the enzyme appears to protect the liver by helping remove damaged mitochondria and supporting the breakdown of fat.

The findings, published in Nature Metabolism, point to a new therapeutic target. The team plans preclinical development of compounds that boost UBE2N activity and is preparing protocols for early-phase human studies.