Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B study decodes LIMA1/EZR axis driving MASH, LiP-MS and SPR confirm ivermectin-LIMA1 binding

A team from Wujing Hospital affiliated with Jiangsu University published a study in Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B showing that the LIMA1/EZR axis promotes MASH progression by suppressing chaperone-mediated autophagy dependent lipophagy. LIMA1 bridges ROCK1 and EZR and promotes EZR T567 phosphorylation, worsening lipid droplet accumulation and metabolic dysfunction in hepatocytes. Using LiP-MS combined with SPR, the study confirmed direct ivermectin-LIMA1 interaction, providing mechanistic support for repurposing ivermectin in MASH.