According to a recent study, a widely used intestinal fungus could play a beneficial role in prevention of foie gras disease. The researchers highlight this new promising track to fight against this frequent pathology.
TL; Dr
- An intestinal fungus fights foie gras disease.
- The FF-C1 compound inhibits the Enzyme Cers6 key.
- Future therapeutic applications envisaged in humans.
Discovery of an unexpected ally in our intestines
At the heart of our microbiome, a tiny and abundant world, science continues to lift the veil on unsuspected interactions. Latest advance: a team piloted by Peking University has just highlighted the potentially protective role of a champignon intestinalthe Fusarium stinkingagainst the progression of Metabolic foie gras diseasealso known by the English acronym MASH.
From a human sample to a promising therapeutic track
To go back to this discovery, the researchers collected samples of stools from a hundred volunteers across several Chinese regions. Thanks to an innovative isolation and culture technique, they have managed to identify no less than 161 distinct fungal species in the intestinal microbiota. But it is the marked presence and the adaptability of the Fusarium stinkingin particular under poor oxygen conditions, which oriented their interest towards this singular microorganism.
-An unprecedented mechanism of action revealed in mice
By conducting their tests on model mice with a pathology close to the human mash, scientists observed that the compound baptized FF-C1produced by this fungus, induced a clear improvement in the liver state: reduced inflammation and limited healing of the liver were there. Several elements explain this beneficial action:
- FF-C1 slows down the activity of the Ceramide Synthase 6 enzyme (CERS6)involved in the synthesis of harmful fats for the organism;
- Reduction of Cers6 thus limits the trigger or worsening of the Mash.
Genetic experiences on private mice or overexpressing Cers6 have confirmed this mode of action.
New perspectives for medical research
Admittedly, there remains a crucial step before any clinical application: reproducing these results in humans. But while almost one in three people in the world would be affected by one form or another of the Metabolic steatohepatitis (MAFLD/Mash)this track raises many hopes. Especially since the techniques used already open the way to the exploration of other intestinal fungi with potentially beneficial effects. A stimulating horizon to understand-and perhaps tame-the complex relationships between our organisms and their internal microfauna.
