Transcriptomics, metabolomics, and in silico drug predictions to prevent or treat liver damage in young and aged burn victims

Abstract

Abstract Burns are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, affecting individuals of all ages. Burns induce a systemic response affecting multiple organs where the liver is frequently damaged. Since the liver plays a critical role in metabolic, inflammatory, and immune events, a patient with impaired liver often exhibits poor outcomes. The mortality rate after burns in the elderly population is higher than in any other age group, and studies show that the liver of aged animals is more susceptible to injury after burns. Thus, understanding the liver response to burns in young and aged burn victims is fundamental to improving overall health care. Moreover, no liver-specific therapy exists to treat burn-induced liver damage highlighting a critical gap in burn injury therapeutics. In this project, we analyzed transcriptomics and metabolomics data from the liver of young and aged mice to identify mechanistic pathways and in-silico predict therapeutic targets to prevent or reverse burn-induced liver damage. Our study highlights pathway interactions and master regulators that underlie the liver response to burn injury in young and aged animals. The results reveal genes that may represent prospective hallmark signatures for liver damage, especially in the livers of aged burn victims.