Chinese Scientists Develop Database on Liver Proteins

New treatment for liver disease? Well, Chinese scientists report that they have created an extensive database about proteins produced by genes in the human liver. This major innovation could lead to new treatment.

To develop the large database, the researchers examined 10 liver-tissue samples from volunteers and identified 6,788 proteins, half of which had never before been encountered. The workings of these newly identified proteins are not well understood yet; however, scientists believe that many seem to be connected to diseases of the nervous system.

This is especially good news considering that Cirrhosis and chronic liver disease kill an estimated 27,000 people a year in the United States, and hepatitis kills thousands more, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.