Albumin Modifications as Early Biomarkers of Chronic Liver Diseases

Chronic liver diseases, affecting over 800 million people worldwide, lead to approximately 2 million annual deaths. The need for early, sensitive diagnostic strategies to prevent disease progression and reduce mortality is still unmet. The traditional serum markers lack sensitivity and specificity, leading to the integration of these biomarkers into panel tests with algorithms or imaging measures. Despite their widespread use, these tests have limitations at an individual level, including an inability to predict disease progression or response to treatment. To address these shortcomings, our project proposes utilizing albumin post-translational modifications (PTM) as a predictive biomarker for liver disease progression. The hypothesis is that albumin modifications occur in the early stages of hepatocellular damage and are indicative of future liver diseases. These modifications can be detected through serum albumin isoform determination, albumin isoforms profiles or the albumin's ligand-binding capacities. Innovatively, the study will use the Serum Enhanced Binding (SEB) test, which identifies reduced ligand-binding capacities, and discusses a second patent for determining a typical isoform profile based on the hepatic injury type.

Our preliminary results from animal models and a proof-of-concept studies with patients support this hypotheses. Our previous studies demonstrated also significant differences in albumin isoform profiles in response to different types of hepatic injury and high sensitivity and specificity in the SEB test among cirrhotic patients.

The primary objective of the MALAHBAR project is to evaluate the capacity of albumin PTM to predict liver disease progression over three years in chronic liver disease patients. Secondary objectives include assessing the predictive ability of different albumin isoforms and the SEB test for liver disease progression, evaluating diagnostic performances and confirming characteristic albumin isoform profiles related to specific hepatic injuries. The study could represent a significant advancement in liver disease diagnostics and management, offering new insights into the role of albumin in liver pathology.