Henna could help treat liver fibrosis

Lawsonia inermis It is a plant known mainly for the production of hennaa versatile dye used to change the color of hair and clothing and to make tattoos. Now, researchers from the Osaka Metropolitan University (Japan) have discovered another use for the pigments extracted from this dye: the treatment of liver diseases.

Specifically, they could treat the liver fibrosisa disease that causes excessive buildup of fibrous scar tissue in the liver as a consequence of chronic liver injury caused by lifestyle habits such as excessive alcohol consumption. Patients with liver fibrosis have an increased risk of cirrhosis, liver failure, and cancer. Even though between 3% and 4% of the population suffers from the advanced form of the disease, treatment options remain limited.

A possible treatment for this disease involves hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Normally, these cells maintain the balance in the liver; However, when they are activated excessively, as occurs during a liver injuryproduce excess fibrous tissue and collagen, which disrupts normal liver function.

The research group led by Associate Professor Tsutomu Matsubara and Dr. Atsuko Daikokuof the Osaka Metropolitan University School of Medicinedeveloped a chemical screening system that identifies substances that act directly on activated hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), as published in the journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. Using this system, they identified lawsone, a chemical component of Lawsonia inermis (also known as henna tree), as a possible inhibitor of HSC activation.

When the researchers administered Lawsone, the mice receiving the treatment showed reductions in markers of liver fibrosis, such as YAP, aSMA and COL1A. They also found increased expression of cytoglobin, a marker associated with antioxidant functions in HSCs, suggesting that HSCs were reverting toward a non-fibrotic quiescent type.

The professors believe that by creating drugs based on lawsone, they could develop the first treatment that controls and even improves fibrosis. “We are currently developing a drug delivery system capable of delivering drugs to activated hepatic stellate cells and we hope that it will ultimately be available for patients with liver fibrosis,” says Matsubara. “By controlling the activity of fibroblasts, including hepatic stellate cells, we could limit or even reverse the effects of fibrosis.”