Biomedical subjects

Dipender Gill

Publications and source records attributed to Dipender Gill.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Robust human genetic evidence supporting causal effects of FGF21 on reducing alcohol consuming behaviours.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) represents a tremendous societal burden, yet few efficacious therapies are available and widely used. Pre-clinical and human observational data support fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of AUD. The objective of this study is to identify a robust genetic instrument for FGF21 agonism and leverage it to explore the effects of FGF21 agonism on AUD and related traits, as well as metabolic outcomes more widely. METHODS: We first compared associations with the positive control outcomes of liver fat and liver cirrhosis risk for the FGF21 cis-protein quantitative trait locus (cis-pQTL) (rs838131) to those for the common allele FGF21 L174P missense variant (rs739320). Having identified the L174P missense variant as a plausible genetic instrument, we subsequently performed association analyses investigating effects on AUD, related traits, and metabolic outcomes more widely. Finally, we performed colocalisation analyses to test whether observed association results reflect a causal mechanism that overlaps with the clinical effects of FGF21 on liver fat and liver cirrhosis. RESULTS: Consistent association and colocalisation evidence support a protective association between genetically predicted FGF21 agonism and alcohol consumption (association p = 1 × 10-18, colocalisation posterior probability = 0.90), problematic alcohol use (association p = 0.02, posterior probability = 0.64), and AUD (association p = 9 × 10-8, posterior probability = 0.97). Similar evidence was also observed for favourable effects of FGF21 on improving kidney function, lowering triglyceride levels, lowering proportional energy intake from carbohydrates, increasing proportional energy intake from protein and fat, increasing body weight and lowering waist-to-hip ratio. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies a genetic instrument for FGF21 effects to provide causal human evidence supporting favourable effects of FGF21 analogues for the treatment of AUD and related traits, as well as on metabolic outcomes more broadly. Further clinical study is duly warranted.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Genetic Downregulation of Interleukin-6 Signaling, Coagulation Function, and Risk of Thromboembolic Disease.

BACKGROUND: Although genetic evidence supports IL-6 (interleukin-6) signaling inhibition as protective against atherosclerotic disease, its potential effects on thromboembolic outcomes are not well established. We conducted a Mendelian randomization analysis to investigate the association of genetically proxied IL-6 signaling inhibition with venous thromboembolism, cardioembolic stroke, and coagulation cascade protein levels. METHODS: IL-6 signaling inhibition was proxied using the rs2228145 IL6R missense variant, which impairs classical IL-6 signaling and lowers CRP (C-reactive protein) levels. Genetic associations with thromboembolic disease outcomes were obtained from genome-wide association studies of venous thromboembolism (81 190 cases) and cardioembolic stroke (10 804 cases). As atherosclerotic comparator traits, we included coronary artery disease (181 522 cases) and large-artery atherosclerotic stroke (6399 cases). Genetic associations with 35 coagulation cascade protein levels were obtained from the UK Biobank (n=6218) and deCODE cohorts (n=35 559). Mendelian randomization estimates were derived using the Wald ratio method, scaled per 1-unit decrease in natural log-transformed CRP levels. RESULTS: Genetically proxied IL-6 signaling inhibition was associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolism (odds ratio [OR], 1.31 [95% CI, 1.16-1.47], P=6.5×10-6) but not with cardioembolic stroke (OR, 1.25 [95% CI, 0.73-2.14], P=0.42). Conversely, protective associations were observed for both coronary artery disease and large-artery atherosclerotic stroke. Proteomic analyses demonstrated significant reductions in levels of 5 procoagulant and 7 anticoagulant or antifibrinolytic proteins. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that IL-6 signaling inhibition dysregulates coagulation homeostasis and increases venous thromboembolism risk. Further experimental, translational, and epidemiologic studies are warranted to delineate underlying mechanisms and to evaluate thromboembolic safety in pharmacologic IL-6 signaling inhibition.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Germline Variants Influence Chronic Liver Disease Progression through Distinct Pathways.

Cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are long-term complications of chronic liver disease (CLD). In this large multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of all-cause cirrhosis (35,481 cases, 2.36M controls) and HCC (6,680 cases, 1.76M controls), we identified 27 loci associated with cirrhosis (10 novel) and 11 with HCC (three novel). Three novel cirrhosis loci were replicated in independent cohorts (e.g. FGF21, RPTOR, and IFNL3/4). Fifteen cirrhosis loci exhibited differential effects on cirrhosis risk via underlying etiologies, and six HCC loci influenced HCC risk indirectly via cirrhosis. In a gene-burden analysis of rare variants from whole-genome sequencing data in the VA Million Veteran Program (n=102,677), we identified GSTA5 as a novel cirrhosis-associated gene, while APOB and ATP9B were associated with and replicated for HCC. A high genetic risk score for cirrhosis was associated with a nearly doubled risk of CLD progressing to cirrhosis (HR=1.94, P=2×10-68) and of cirrhosis progressing to HCC (HR=1.65, P=7×10-08). Finally, among individuals with chronic hepatitis C who underwent antiviral therapy, cirrhosis risk was modified by variants in PNPLA3, IFNL3/4, and CD81 following pegylated interferon-α therapy, and by APOE lead variant following direct-acting antiviral therapy. These findings provide new insights into the complex genetic architecture of CLD progression with potential clinical and therapeutic implications.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2025

Genomics-informed drug-repurposing strategy identifies two therapeutic targets for preventing liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction.

Identification of drug-repurposing targets with genetic and biological support is an economically and temporally efficient strategy for improving the treatment of diseases. We employed a cross-disciplinary approach to identify potential therapeutics for the prevention of metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in at-risk individuals by using humans as a model organism. We identified 212 putative candidate genes associated with MASLD by using data from a large multi-ancestry genetic association study, of which 158 (74.5%) were previously unreported. From this set, we identified 57 genes that encode for druggable protein targets and for which the effects of increasing genetically predicted gene expression on MASLD risk align with the function of that drug on the protein target. We then used We then evaluated these potential targets for evidence of efficacy by using Mendelian randomization, pathway analysis, and protein structural modeling. Through these approaches, we present compelling evidence to suggest that the activation of FADS1 by icosapent ethyl, as well as S1PR2 by fingolimod, could be a promising therapeutic strategy for MASLD prevention.

Humans↗