Scientific Reports (Jul 2024)
SomaLogic proteomics reveals new biomarkers and provides mechanistic, clinical insights into Acetyl coA Carboxylase (ACC) inhibition in Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
Abstract
Abstract Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) are major metabolic diseases with increasing global prevalence and no approved therapies. There is a mounting need to develop biomarkers of diagnosis, prognosis and treatment response that can effectively replace current requirements for liver biopsies, which are invasive, error-prone and expensive. We performed SomaLogic serum proteome profiling with baseline (n = 231) and on-treatment (n = 72, Weeks 12 and 16, Placebo and 25 mg PF-05221304) samples from a Phase 2a trial (NCT03248882) with Clesacostat (PF-05221304), an acetyl coA carboxylase inhibitor (ACCi) in patients with NAFLD/NASH. SomaSignal NASH probability scores and expression data for 7000+ analytes were analyzed to identify potential biomarkers associated with baseline clinical measures of NAFLD/NASH [Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Proton Density Fat Fraction (MRI-PDFF), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)] as well as biomarkers of treatment response to ACCi. SomaSignal NASH probability scores identified biopsy-proven/clinically defined NIT-based (Presumed) NASH classification of the cohort with > 70% agreement. Clesacostat-induced reduction in steatosis probability scores aligned with observed clinical reduction in hepatic steatosis based on MRI-PDFF. We identify a set of 69 analytes that robustly correlate with clinical measures of hepatic inflammation and steatosis (MRI-PDFF, ALT and AST), 27 of which were significantly reversed with ACC inhibition. Clesacostat treatment dramatically upregulated Wnt5a protein and Apolipoproteins C3 and E, with drug-induced changes significantly correlating to changes on MRI-PDFF. Our data demonstrate the utility of SomaLogic- analyte panel for diagnosis and treatment response in NAFLD/NASH and provide potential new mechanistic insights into liver steatosis reduction, inflammation and serum triglyceride elevation with ACC inhibition. (Clinical Trial Identifier: NCT03248882).
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