Can Belgian researchers work a microalgae miracle to cure liver disease?
Belgian scientists are looking to the sea to explore a possible cure for fatty liver disease: they’re studying the impact of microalgae.
Two major universities (those of Brussels and Antwerp) are working together with the Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to investigate the role that algae could play in reducing fat in the liver.
They are exploring certain natural compounds that occur in algae to see what effect they have on liver cells.
This research is part of a three-year project that also includes the construction of an algae bioreactor in Ostend, a major city on the Belgian coast, that could process up to 300 litres of algae, which could be a tremendous step forward if their research bears fruit.
Did you know that a Belgian hospital recently achieved a world first when it was able to transplant a liver from a deceased patient? You can read about that here.