A newly discovered genetic link to non-alcoholic inflammatory liver disease

[Northerner]

Researchers have shown that albino mice of the C57BL/6 line are highly susceptible to developing the inflammatory liver condition non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) when fed a high cholesterol diet. The albino mice carry a mutation in the tyrosinase gene leading to a deficiency of melanin synthesis. NASH is a serious illness in humans, and the identification of the involvement of tyrosinase in NASH development will guide future research into this condition.

A newly discovered genetic link to non-alcoholic inflammatory liver disease

Researchers have shown that albino mice of the C57BL/6 line are highly susceptible to developing the inflammatory liver condition non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) when fed a high cholesterol diet. The albino mice carry a mutation in the tyrosinase gene leading to a deficiency of melanin...

www.sciencedaily.com

 

[mikeyB]

Sounds a bit ropy to me. Since when did mice eat a high cholesterol diet? And how exactly do specially bred strains of mice relate to humans? Unless they test folk with the condition for the same genetic abnormality, this gets us nowhere. The condition itself is not inheritable, and it is also the commonest liver problem by far - it’s just a fancy name for a fatty liver, which is present to a degree in about 25% of the US population, and is reversible.