Liver Transplantation News and Research

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Caucasians have a higher rate of HBV recurrence compared to Asian Americans and African Americans

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 1.5 to 2 million Americans are infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Prior studies have shown there to be significant racial differences in access to and outcomes of liver transplantation. Recently, doctors from across the U.S. conducted a multicenter retrospective-prospective study of the waitlist status and outcomes of liver transplant patients with HBV infection.

28 Aug 2009

Research study indicates that liver regeneration could affect the metabolism of tacrolimus in LDLT

Several studies have shown that living donor liver transplant (LDLT) recipients required smaller doses of tacrolimus compared with deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT) patients, which indicated that liver regeneration could affect the metabolism of tacrolimus in LDLT.

27 Aug 2009

Study unveils detrimental effects of high-dose ursodeoxycholic acid on patients with PSC

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an uncommon chronic liver disease characterized by progressive inflammation and destruction of the bile ducts. The disease progresses slowly, usually leading to biliary cirrhosis, portal hypertension and liver failure over a 10-15 year period. PSC is a common cause of adult cholestatic liver diseases and a primary source behind many of the liver transplantations in U.S. adults. At least 70% of PSC cases are associated with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), usually ulcerative colitis. Currently, there is no cure for PSC and prospective treatments remain ineffective.

20 Aug 2009

Novel treatment reduces swollen livers

Viruses need living cells for replication and production of virus progeny. Thus far, antiviral therapy primarily targets viral factors but often induces therapy resistance. New improved therapies attempt to targets cellular factors that are essential for viral replication.

16 Aug 2009

Metabolic bone disease in cirrhosis patients

Long-standing liver disease has long been recognized to result in fragile bones with increased risk of fractures. In various international studies, the overall incidence has varied from 11% to 48%, with a fracture rate of 3%-44%.

10 Aug 2009

Phase 1 clinical trial starts for new antibody aimed at hepatitis C virus

Building upon a series of successful preclinical studies, researchers at MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) today announced the beginning of a Phase 1 clinical trial, testing the safety and activity of a human monoclonal antibody they developed that can neutralize the Hepatitis C virus (HCV).

6 Aug 2009

Jefferson names endowed Professorship in transplant surgery

Cataldo Doria, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S., director, Division of Transplant Surgery, in the Department of Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, has been named the Nicoletti Family Professor of Transplant Surgery. This endowed professorship is a generous gift of Robert and Beatrice Nicoletti and their family. The family cited the care they received at Jefferson when Robert received a new kidney donated by his own daughter, as the reason for their donation.

4 Aug 2009

The extremes of BMI a cause for concern in liver transplantation

A recent study by doctors at the University of Washington explained that patients who are significantly underweight or very severely obese prior to liver transplantation are at increased risk of death following transplantation surgery.

4 Aug 2009

Mortality rates higher in hepatitis C virus carriers

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a blood-borne disease that causes inflammation of the liver and to which there is currently no vaccine available. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 3% of the world's population, approximately 170 million people, are infected with HCV and it is a leading cause of liver cirrhosis, end stage liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver transplantation.

31 Jul 2009

Hepatitis C infection: Treatment options equally effective, likelihood of success known early on

Results of a long-awaited study of 3,070 American adults at Johns Hopkins and 118 other U.S. medical centers show that treatment with either of the two standard antiviral drug therapies is safe and offers the best way for people infected with hepatitis C to prevent liver scarring, organ failure and death.

22 Jul 2009

New pathology tests double sensitivity to detect bile duct and pancreatic cancers

Pancreatic cancer and bile duct cancer are difficult to diagnose and often fatal because they are discovered in the advanced stages of the disease. Researchers have developed new tests that double the ability to detect bile duct and pancreatic cancers, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in the June issue of Gastroenterology.

1 Jun 2009

Scientists create human monoclonal antibody that neutralizes the Hepatitis C virus

Taking aim at a leading cause of liver failure in the United States, a team of scientists at the Massachusetts Biologic Laboratories (MBL) of the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) has developed a human monoclonal antibody that neutralizes the Hepatitis C virus (HCV).

5 May 2009

Anti-viral drug telaprevir improves response, halves duration of hepatitis C treatment

The addition of the anti-viral drug telaprevir to a standard treatment for hepatitis C can shorten the duration of therapy and increase the number of patients who can be cured of their disease, according to the results of study coordinated by investigators from the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI).

29 Apr 2009

Transplant physicians express serious concern about organ procurement practices in China

The globalization of health care and the growth of "transplant tourism" (traveling abroad to purchase donor organs and undergo organ transplantation) have outpaced the implementation of internationally accepted ethical standards for procurement of organs for transplantation.

22 Apr 2009

Liver Transplantation News and Research

Caucasians have a higher rate of HBV recurrence compared to Asian Americans and African Americans

Research study indicates that liver regeneration could affect the metabolism of tacrolimus in LDLT

Study unveils detrimental effects of high-dose ursodeoxycholic acid on patients with PSC

Novel treatment reduces swollen livers

Metabolic bone disease in cirrhosis patients

Phase 1 clinical trial starts for new antibody aimed at hepatitis C virus

Jefferson names endowed Professorship in transplant surgery

The extremes of BMI a cause for concern in liver transplantation

Mortality rates higher in hepatitis C virus carriers

Hepatitis C infection: Treatment options equally effective, likelihood of success known early on

New pathology tests double sensitivity to detect bile duct and pancreatic cancers

Scientists create human monoclonal antibody that neutralizes the Hepatitis C virus

Anti-viral drug telaprevir improves response, halves duration of hepatitis C treatment

Transplant physicians express serious concern about organ procurement practices in China

Early treatment for hepatitis C offers a good chance of a cure

Experts say propylthiouracil should not longer be used as first-line treatment for Graves' disease in children

Omega-3 fatty acids may help cancer patients undergoing major operations

The immune system's role in hepatitis C recurrence after liver transplantation

Researchers investigate new way to block reproduction of the hepatitis C virus

Liver transplant recipients with hepatitis B may need lifelong antiviral treatment

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How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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