LONDON (BBC Health News) -- A cheap and readily available drug could reverse severe liver disease research suggests.

Sulphasalazine is currently used to treat arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

But a University of Newcastle team has found that it can also reverse the scarring associated with cirrhosis of the liver.

Liver disease is the fifth highest cause of death in the UK.

It is estimated that up to 10% of the UK population have problems with their liver -- and most are linked to lifestyle factors, such as drinking and obesity.

Scientists had thought that the scarring associated with cirrhosis -- known as fibrosis -- was irreversible.

However, recent studies have shown that is not the case.

Now the Newcastle team, in tests on animals, have shown that Sulphasalazine can aid the recovery process. ------------------Regeneration

When the liver is injured specialized cells called hepatic myofibroblasts create scar tissue, and secrete proteins which prevent it being broken down.

In healthy liver tissue the scars eventually melt away and are replaced by new normal tissue.

However, in diseased tissue this process does not happen. Instead the scar tissue proliferates, and spreads throughout the whole organ.

The Newcastle team showed that Sulphasalazine could aid recovery by blocking the production of proteins that keep the scar tissue cells alive.

They plan to carry out trials in humans, but already believe the drug has the potential to provide an alternative to a liver transplant.

The drug will initially be given to heavy drinkers who have given up alcohol, but too late for their liver to recover naturally.

Professor Derek Mann, who led the research, said just a 5% to 10% recovery of the organ could have a huge impact on quality of life.