Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 05, 2025 40 minutes ago
Medical News: New Hope for Early Liver Disease Detection
Scientists from Osaka Metropolitan University, Musashino Red Cross Hospital in Tokyo, 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi, Takatsuki General Hospital, and Kashiwara Municipal Hospital in Osaka have uncovered a promising new biomarker that could transform the way liver fibrosis is diagnosed. The study explored the role of fibulin-5 (FBLN5), a component of elastic fibers, in identifying and tracking the progression of liver fibrosis, especially in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
A new blood marker called fibulin-5 may help detect liver fibrosis in its early stages before severe damage sets in
When the liver is repeatedly damaged by viral infections like hepatitis C or by long-term alcohol use, healthy tissue is gradually replaced by fibrous scar tissue—a condition known as liver fibrosis. If left undiagnosed and untreated, this can escalate into cirrhosis and increase the risk of liver cancer. Unfortunately, current detection methods, including imaging and collagen-based blood tests, are often not sensitive enough, especially in the early stages.
A Promising New Blood Marker
This
Medical News report highlights that FBLN5, which plays a role in building elastic fibers, is produced by activated hepatic stellate cells—key drivers of liver scarring. In vitro experiments and human liver samples showed a strong connection between elevated FBLN5 levels and the severity of liver fibrosis. Among 90 hepatitis C patients who underwent biopsies, 72 showed FBLN5 in liver tissue and 67 had it in their blood.
The researchers noted that as fibrosis worsened, plasma levels of FBLN5 increased significantly. Interestingly, this marker outperformed the commonly used type IV collagen test in predicting advanced stages of liver fibrosis. Lab studies further revealed that transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1), a known fibrosis trigger, caused human and mouse stellate cells to produce and release even more FBLN5.
Stronger Insights for Diagnosis and Future Treatment
Using advanced single-nuclear RNA sequencing, the team discovered that FBLN5 is mainly expressed in liver fibroblasts and is far more abundant in cirrhotic liver tissue. These findings support the potential of FBLN5 as both a diagnostic marker and an early warning signal for liver complications, even after successful hepatitis C treatment.
Though the study sample was relatively small and more extensive trials are needed, the results suggest that FBLN5 may become a key part of future noninvasive testing protocols. Its unique ability to indicate the accumulation of elastic fibers, rather than just collagen, sets it apart from existing biomarkers. Doctors may eventually use FBLN5 levels to determine which patients need antifibrotic treatments before serious damage occurs.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Gastro Hep Advances.
https://www.ghadvances.org/ar
ticle/S2772-5723(25)00214-6/fulltext
For the latest on new Diagnostics and Biomarkers, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News.
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/thailand-medical-scientists-find-that-phytochemicals-from-leaves-of-kaffir-lime-shows-promise-in-treating-liver-fibrosis
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/interleukins-and-their-role-in-liver-fibrosis
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