Updated: May 23, 2023 22:23 IST

Autoaggressive T cells cause inflammatory fatty liver disease (NASH, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis) and the ensuing liver cancer. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ) have finally discovered the cause of this harmful behaviour. They discovered an increase in the number of activated B lymphocytes in the gastrointestinal tract of both mice and humans with NASH. B cells promote the development of liver cancer by a twofold strategy: they stimulate autoaggressive T cells through direct cell-cell interaction. Furthermore, B cells create IgA class antibodies that stimulate particular immune cells, causing liver fibrosis. When B cells are switched off in mice, inflammation and fibrosis disappear, and fewer and smaller liver tumours form.