Systems biology approaches for studying the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

作     者：Ciarán P Fisher Andrzej M Kierzek Nick J Plant J Bernadette Moore 

作者机构：Faculty of Health and Medical SciencesUniversity of Surrey 

出 版 物：《World Journal of Gastroenterology》 (世界胃肠病学杂志（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2014年第20卷第41期

页      面：15070-15078页

核心收录：

学科分类：1002[医学-临床医学] 100201[医学-内科学(含：心血管病、血液病、呼吸系病、消化系病、内分泌与代谢病、肾病、风湿病、传染病)] 10[医学] 

基　　金：Supported by The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Re-search Council No.BB/I008195/1 

主　　题：Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Network Metabolism Systems biology Modelling Regulation Simulation 

摘      要：Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a progressive disease of increasing public health concern. In western populations the disease has an estimated prevalence of 20%-40%, rising to 70%-90% in obese and type II diabetic individuals. Simplistically, NAFLD is the macroscopic accumulation of lipid in the liver, and is viewed as the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating both the initial development of steatosis and its progression through non-alcoholic steatohepatitis to debilitating and potentially fatal fibrosis and cirrhosis are only partially understood. Despite increased research in this field, the development of non-invasive clinical diagnostic tools and the discovery of novel therapeutic targets has been frustratingly slow. We note that, to date, NAFLD research has been dominated by in vivo experiments in animal models and human clinical studies. Systems biology tools and novel computational simulation techniques allow the study of large-scale metabolic networks and the impact of their dysregulation on health. Here we review current systems biology tools and discuss the benefits to their application to the study of NAFLD. We propose that a systems approach utilising novel in silico modelling and simulation techniques is key to a more comprehensive, better targeted NAFLD research strategy. Such an approach will accelerate the progress of research and vital translation into clinic.