Liver Disease News and Research

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The liver is one of the largest solid organs of the body. It is located in the upper right part of the abdomen. Most of the organ lies under cover of the rib cage.

Mallinckrodt's subsidiary to acquire all outstanding shares of Cadence Pharmaceuticals

Mallinckrodt plc, a leading global specialty pharmaceuticals company, and Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which a subsidiary of Mallinckrodt plc will commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for $14.00 per share in cash or approximately $1.3 billion on a fully diluted basis, which represents a 32% premium to the trailing 30-trading-day volume weighted average price (VWAP) of $10.62 per share for Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

11 Feb 2014

Researchers examine link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer development

New research looking at the biological process involved in breast cancer development has strengthened the argument for a potential link between alcohol consumption and the disease.

From The University of Manchester 11 Feb 2014

Researchers discover biological switch that regulates protein that causes fatty liver disease in mice

Studying a cycle of protein interactions needed to make fat, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have discovered a biological switch that regulates a protein that causes fatty liver disease in mice.

11 Feb 2014

Tips to maintain heart-healthy lifestyle for kids and adolescents

It's never too early for you to start taking care of your heart.

6 Feb 2014

Drug used to treat schizophrenia, dementia has potential for treating liver disease

Opening up a can of worms is a good way to start hunting for new drugs, recommend researchers from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

4 Feb 2014

Chemical "signature" in blood may predict which AML patients would benefit from chemotherapy

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and Montefiore Medical Center have found a chemical "signature" in blood-forming stem cells that predicts whether patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) will respond to chemotherapy.

4 Feb 2014

Vodka contributes to high death rates in Russia, new study confirms

The high and sharply fluctuating death rates in Russia are due mainly to alcohol, particularly vodka, a new prospective study of 151 000 adults confirms.

3 Feb 2014

Researchers find no benefit in replacing fructose with glucose

Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital have found there is no benefit in replacing fructose, the sugar most commonly blamed for obesity, with glucose in commercially prepared foods.

31 Jan 2014

Researchers identify potential genes that can be targeted for new treatments for hepatocellular cancer

Patients with advanced hepatocellular (or liver) cancer have high mortality rates, with existing drugs demonstrating only a small, but significant survival advantage. By combining a zebrafish model of liver cancer with data from human tumors, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai hope to identify potential genes of interest that can be targeted for new treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer to develop from liver cells.

31 Jan 2014

Third-hand smoke as deadly as first-hand smoke

Do not smoke and do not allow yourself to be exposed to smoke because second-hand smoke and third-hand smoke are just as deadly as first-hand smoke, says a scientist at the University of California, Riverside who, along with colleagues, conducted the first animal study of the effects of third-hand smoke.

30 Jan 2014

Johns Hopkins researchers discover epilepsy drug reduces obesity-related blood sugar levels

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that valproic acid, a widely prescribed drug for treating epilepsy, has the additional benefits of reducing fat accumulation in the liver and lowering blood sugar levels in the blood of obese mice.

30 Jan 2014

Bristol-Myers Squibb fourth quarter 2013 revenues increase 6% to $4.4 billion

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today reported results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2013. The fourth quarter was highlighted by the company's announcement to sell its diabetes business as part of the continued evolution of its successful BioPharma strategy to a specialty care model. The company achieved important regulatory milestones in the quarter for Eliquis in the U.S., daclatasvir/asunaprevir in Japan, daclatasvir in Europe and Farxiga in the U.S. In addition, the company provided financial guidance for 2014.

24 Jan 2014

Omega-3 fatty acids especially DHA may have even wider range of biological impacts, shows study

A study of the metabolic effects of omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, concludes that these compounds may have an even wider range of biological impacts than previously considered, and suggests they could be of significant value in the prevention of fatty liver disease.

24 Jan 2014

New drug helps children and young adults who have severe pain from sickle cell disease

Saint Louis University researchers are studying whether ReoPro® (abciximab), a drug currently given to heart patients undergoing angioplasties to open blocked arteries, also could help children and young adults who have severe pain from sickle cell disease.

23 Jan 2014

Lack of SIRT1 protein in the liver leads to lower levels of liver FGF21

A new study led by Boston University School of Medicine demonstrates that the abnormal metabolism linked to obesity could be regulated in part by the interaction of two metabolic regulators, called the NAD-dependent deacetylase SIRT1 and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). Using experimental models, the researchers found that a lack of SIRT1 protein in the liver led to lower levels of a liver secreted protein FGF21, which resulted in an increased likelihood of developing fatty liver disease and obesity.

22 Jan 2014

Gilead Sciences gets marketing authorization from European Commission for Sovaldi 400 mg tablets

Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) 400 mg tablets, a once-daily oral nucleotide analogue polymerase inhibitor for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection in adults, in combination with other antiviral agents (ribavirin and pegylated interferon alpha (peg-IFN)).

18 Jan 2014

Monitoring individuals with chronic HBV is cost-effective strategy for China

A novel study determined that monitoring inactive chronic hepatitis B (HBV) carriers is a cost-effective strategy for China. However, results published in Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, show that increasing treatment, monitoring and adherence to therapy are necessary to achieve significant health benefits at the population level.

16 Jan 2014

Hepatitis C infection varies widely among different Hispanic groups in the U.S.

The first study of hepatitis C infection among different Hispanic groups in the U.S. has found that infection with the virus varies widely, with Puerto Rican Hispanics much more likely than other groups to be infected. The study, led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, highlights which Hispanic populations would benefit most from increased hepatitis C testing and treatment.

15 Jan 2014

UMMS researchers commissioned by Alpha-1 Project to develop PiZ antibody

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) have been commissioned by the Alpha-1 Project (TAP) to develop a PiZ antibody. The antibody will be used to track the presence of mutant alpha-1 PiZ protein in human blood serum, an essential tool in testing potential therapies for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1).

13 Jan 2014

Research: SLPI protein produced by body in response to injury plays vital role in patients with ALF

Findings published in the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases journal, Hepatology, indicate that infection, the commonest cause of mortality in patients with acute liver failure, may be decreased by inhibiting the activity of a protein found in saliva called SLPI.

10 Jan 2014