After surgery to remove part of the small intestine in a mouse, normal liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue, which impairs the organ’s ability to function. Researchers at WashU Medicine made and tested a compound that protects the liver from this complication.
When parts of the small intestine are diseased or die, the treatment can involve surgically removing the affected tissue. Although lifesaving, the procedure — referred to as a radical small bowel resection — can lead to long-term liver damage and even failure, requiring a liver transplant. There are no medications to prevent or manage this serious complication that’s been reported to affect up to 15% of patients after small bowel resection.
Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have synthesized and tested a…