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    Centenary Institute > Liver Enzymes in Metabolism and Inflammation Program

Liver Enzymes in Metabolism and Inflammation Program

The ongoing increase in all forms of liver disease is a large burden for our healthcare system. Especially the 350% increase in liver cancer in the last 30 years. Much of this increase is attributed to metabolic disease, often in conjunction with diabetes. Our focus in liver disease research is understanding the roles of a key enzyme family in progressive liver damage and cancer.

Our discoveries indicate that the four enzymes of this family are drivers of liver disease towards liver failure and cancer. Fortunately, enzymes make excellent drug targets and one of the enzymes, named DPP4, is the target of a successful diabetes drug class that our research helped create. Our liver disease research has indicated that this type of drug can also combat fatty liver disease and liver scarring that can lead to cirrhosis and cancer.

We are working towards understanding what makes chronic liver diseases wax and wane, and are learning about the components of tumours that support the cancer cells, called the tumour microenvironment. This work is directed towards discovering new treatment options.

Current Projects:

  1. DPP4 enzyme activity in blood associates with fatty liver severity in type 2 diabetes and obesity.
  2. A drug that inhibits the DPP4 enzyme can increase the numbers of anti-tumour T cells getting into a tumour.
  3. The enzyme fibroblast activation protein in humans: Blood serum levels rise with liver fibrosis (scarring) and cirrhosis.
  4. How the enzyme fibroblast activation protein works to exacerbate fatty liver.
  5. DPP9 functions: What the DPP9 enzyme activity does in liver cancer.

Professor Mark Gorrell

Head of Liver Enzymes in Metabolism and Inflammation Program

Australian

Flinders University
Hudson Institute of Medical Research
Monash University
University of Queensland
University of Sydney
University of Technology Sydney
University of Western Australia
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

 

International

Tufts University, USA
University of Edinburgh, UK
University of Freiburg, Germany

Themes

  • Cancer

    Cancer
  • Inflammation

    Inflammation

Head

  • Professor Mark Gorrell

    Head of Liver Enzymes in Metabolism and Inflammation Program

    Phone number Phone Number +61 2 9565 6152

    Email Email m.gorrell@centenary.org.au

Research Fields

  • Diabetes

  • Liver disease

Topics

  • Chronic diseases ,

Publications

Recent publications

Search amongst our repository

all publications

For access to all Publications via Pub Med.

Student projects

Current Projects:

  1. DPP4 enzyme activity in blood associates with fatty liver severity in type 2 diabetes and obesity.
  2. A drug that inhibits the DPP4 enzyme can increase the numbers of anti-tumour T cells getting into a tumour.
  3. The enzyme fibroblast activation protein in humans: Blood serum levels rise with liver fibrosis (scarring) and cirrhosis.
  4. How the enzyme fibroblast activation protein works to exacerbate fatty liver.
  5. DPP9 functions: What the DPP9 enzyme activity does in liver cancer.

Professor Mark Gorrell

Head of Liver Enzymes in Metabolism and Inflammation Program

Australian

Flinders University
Hudson Institute of Medical Research
Monash University
University of Queensland
University of Sydney
University of Technology Sydney
University of Western Australia
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

 

International

Tufts University, USA
University of Edinburgh, UK
University of Freiburg, Germany

News

  • Early-offer international scholarship awarded

    Jasmine Nguyen has been awarded the high honour of an early-offer University of Sydney International Scholarship, to pursue her COVID-19 and lung disease research, in a PhD at the Centenary Institute.
    Date 06 Dec 2022
  • PhD student acknowledged for outstanding laboratory research

    Centenary Institute PhD student, Mark Man Gia Ly has been awarded the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Medical Officers Association President Prize for Laboratory Research.
    Date 18 Oct 2022
  • DPP9 deficit linked to immune disorders in children

    Researchers, including from the Centenary Institute, have reported that ultra-low levels of the dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9) enzyme could be contributing to immune disorders in children.
    Date 04 Oct 2022
  • DPP9 enzyme role in cancer revealed

    A new study from German and Centenary Institute researchers has provided new understanding of an enzyme called dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9) and its role in cancer development.
    Date 04 Aug 2022
  • Meet Professor Mark Gorrell

    Hi, I’m Mark and I’m Head of the Liver Enzymes in Metabolism and Inflammation Program at Centenary.
    Date 04 Mar 2019
    Prof Mark Gorrell Prof Mark Gorrell
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We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Centenary Institute stands.

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