Revolutionizing Liver Disease Treatment

Turning the Tide on Liver Disease

Chronic liver disease is one of the world’s silent killers. It creeps in through viral infections, alcohol use, poor diet, or autoimmune disorders, and can quietly destroy the liver’s ability to heal itself. For millions, it ends in cirrhosis or cancer, with few treatment options once the damage is done.

That may be about to change.

At Bar-Ilan University’s Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Prof. Erez Levanon is leading an ambitious scientific mission to teach the body how to repair its own cells safely and naturally. Together with researchers from the University of Tübingen in Germany, his team is developing a new generation of RNA-based medicines that could reverse or halt liver disease progression altogether.

“This project brings together top scientists in biology, chemistry, and bioinformatics,” says Prof. Levanon. “By combining our strengths, we aim to set the stage for a new generation of medicines that could change how we treat liver and other diseases.”

A €10 Million Boost from the European Research Council

This groundbreaking research is part of HepaModulatoR, a joint Israeli–German project recently awarded a prestigious €10 million European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant. The ERC’s Synergy Grants fund visionary, cross-border projects capable of transforming entire fields.

Bar-Ilan University will receive €2.5 million of the total funding to lead the RNA-editing innovation under Prof. Levanon’s direction. The project unites molecular biologists, computational scientists, and chemists in a multidisciplinary effort that spans computer simulations, molecular drug design, and preclinical testing.

Editing RNA, Not DNA

What makes HepaModulatoR revolutionary is its focus on RNA base editing, a technique that corrects molecular “mistakes” in RNA, the body’s messenger that tells cells how to function.

“We’re developing ways to help the body fix its own mistakes safely and naturally,” explains Prof. Levanon. “Our method doesn’t change DNA—it edits RNA temporarily, which means treatments can be carefully adjusted or even reversed.”

Unlike DNA-based gene therapy, which permanently alters genetic code, RNA editing offers a precise and reversible alternative, ideal for sensitive organs like the liver, where flexibility and safety are critical.

From Data to Discovery

The HepaModulatoR team is building an integrated scientific pipeline: computational modeling to identify molecular targets, biochemical engineering to design RNA-editing tools, and preclinical studies to test them in living systems. The goal is not just to treat liver disease, but to lay the groundwork for an entirely new class of RNA-based therapies applicable to many other conditions.

A Partnership of Scientific Strengths

HepaModulatoR exemplifies the power of collaboration between Israel and Germany. By merging Bar-Ilan’s expertise in RNA biology with Tübingen’s leadership in molecular chemistry and clinical research, the project demonstrates how international cooperation can accelerate discovery and medical impact.