Methods of treating and preventing diseases associated with fibrosis are disclosed, as well as agents for use in such methods. The methods comprise inhibiting at least one of ITFG1, MFAP4, GRHPR, ABCC4, PAK3, TRNP1, APLN, KIF20A, and† or LTB. In one embodiment, the disease is a liver disease or condition. Also disclosed are methods of promoting regeneration of cells, such as hepatocytes.

Methods of treating and preventing diseases associated with fibrosis are disclosed, as well as agents for use in such methods. The methods comprise inhibiting at least one of ITFG1, MFAP4, GRHPR, ABCC4, PAK3, TRNP1, APLN, KIF20A, and/or LTB. In one embodiment, the disease is a liver disease or condition. Also disclosed are methods of promoting regeneration of cells, such as hepatocytes.

The present disclosure provides a method for genetically engineering Yarrowia lipolytica host cell for producing glycolic acid from organic wastes. A subject genetically engineered Y. lipolytica cell comprises the disrupted native genes encoding malate synthase, heterologous enzyme of glyoxylate reductase targeted in the different cellular compartments including mitochondria, peroxisome and cytosol, and a mutant NADP.sup.+-dependent malate dehydrogenase. The pathway with a theoretical yield as high as that 1 g of acetic acid can be converted to 1.27 g of glycolic acid without carbon loss was engineered for glycolic acid production. The methods particularly include process for production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) mainly comprised of acetic acid from organic waste, and then use of resultant VFAs for biosynthesis of glycolic acid by recombinant Y. lipolytica.

The present invention relates to the field of biochemistry, specifically to the bioproduction of glycolate. Host cells, especially cyanobacteria of the genus Synechocystis, are modified in several ways to increase extracellular glycolate, including: mutant Rubisco enzymes, overexpression of phosphoribulokinase (PRK) or phosphoglycolate phosphatase (PGP), a permease to export glycolate, like GIcA, or by reduction of the capacity to metabolize glycolate due to reduced or eliminated glycolate dehydrogenase, glycolate oxidase activity and/or lactate dehydrogenase.

Methods of treating and preventing diseases associated with fibrosis are disclosed, as well as agents for use in such methods. The methods comprise inhibiting at least one of ITFG1, MFAP4, GRHPR, ABCC4, PAK3, TRNP1, APLN, KIF20A, and/or LTB. In one embodiment, the disease is a liver disease or condition. Also disclosed are methods of promoting regeneration of cells, such as hepatocytes.

The present invention relates to a genetically modified Methylobacteriaceae cell comprising at least one exogenous nucleic acid sequence encoding a glyoxylate reductase from the bacterium Escherichia, to a process for producing the genetically modified Methylobacteriaceae cell, to a biocatalyst comprising the genetically modified Methylobacteriaceae cell, to a bioreactor comprising the genetically modified Methylobacteriaceae cell, to a process for producing a product containing glycolic acid and lactic acid, and to a process for producing polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid or polylactide-co-glycolide.