Type III collagen turnover is associated with fibrotic activity following hepatic injury in rats
August 28, 2026
Dynamic changes in type III collagen formation and degradation are associated with fibrotic activity following hepatic injury in rats
Introduction
Non-invasive biomarkers of collagen turnover enable assessment of drug effects on the extracellular matrix. Type III collagen formation (fibrogenesis) and degradation (fibrolysis) can be measured with
nordicPRO-C3™ and nordicCTX-III™, respectively. A shift toward fibrolysis has recently been associated with improvement of hepatic fibrosis in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), making PRO-C3 and CTX-III relevant biomarkers for translational studies of hepatic fibrosis.
I this study, rodent versions of CTX-III (rCTX-III) and PRO-C3 (rPRO-C3) were developed and applied in two preclinical models of hepatic fibrosis.
Poster
Conclusion
In this study we developed robust assays for the rodent fibrolysis biomarker rCTX-III and fibrogenesis biomarker rPRO-C3. The biomarkers were applied in two hepatic fibrosis rat models, showing increased
type III collagen turnover after injury. In conclusion, rCTX-III and rPRO-C3 may serve as translational biomarkers in antifibrotic drug development.