Hepatology News and Research

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Hepatology is the branch of medicine that incorporates study of liver, gallbladder, biliary tree and pancreas as well as management of their disorders.

Scientists develop a highly sensitive COVID-19 diagnostic platform

Cima Universidad de Navarra researchers have developed a large-scale, highly sensitive COVID-19 diagnostic platform more efficient than the commercial PCR test kits currently available.

4 May 2020

Activation of estrogen receptor can impede growth of pancreatic cancer cells

Activating the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor - a receptor found on the surface of many normal and cancer tissues - has been shown to stop pancreatic cancer from growing, but may also make tumors more visible to the immune system and thus more susceptible to modern immunotherapy.

4 May 2020

FMT improves clinical outcomes in extremely ill patients with drug-resistant bacteria

Transferring fecal matter from the digestive systems of healthy donors to extremely ill patients who had previously been infected with drug-resistant bacteria resulted in shorter hospital stays, fewer bloodstream infections and infections that were easier to treat, according to research that was selected for presentation at Digestive Disease Week 2020.

30 Apr 2020

Changes to gut microbiome could improve cancer outcomes for smokers

Changes to the gut microbiome interacted with the immune system to slow the growth of cancer in mice exposed to cigarette smoke, according to research that was selected for presentation at Digestive Disease Week 2020.

30 Apr 2020

Breakthrough study shows liquid biopsy test can safely detect 26 undiagnosed cancers

Results from a first-of-its-kind study of a multicancer blood test in more than 9,900 women with no evidence or history of cancer showed the liquid biopsy test safely detected 26 undiagnosed cancers, enabling potentially curative treatment.

29 Apr 2020

Research shows how the immune system reacts to hepatitis C viruses

If a virus penetrates a cell, the immune system reacts immediately and produces the signaling protein interferon.

24 Apr 2020

A new, potential treatment for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis with fibrosis

In the 2020 April 21 issue of Journal of Hepatology, a research group from the Department of Hepatology in Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan reported that a new insight into the pathophysiology of human nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with fibrosis and suggested a possibility of the new therapy using cytoglobin (CYGB) inducer for clinical application.

21 Apr 2020

Study shows how interactions between microbiome and the immune system contribute to liver disease

A new study by researchers in the Quadram Institute has provided insights into how interactions between gut microbes and cells of the immune system contribute to cholestatic liver disease.

20 Apr 2020

Landmark 30-year study describes clinical course of patients with Crigler-Najjar syndrome

A new study summarizes more than 30 years of clinical experience and describes the clinical course of 28 individuals homozygous for damaging mutations in the UGT1A1 gene who were born between 1984 and 2015 with Crigler-Najjar syndrome.

17 Apr 2020

Breastmilk influences accumulation of viruses in the infant gut

Even small amounts of breastmilk strongly influences the accumulation of viral populations in the infant gut and provides a protective effect against potentially pathogenic viruses, according to researchers who examined hundreds of babies in a study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

15 Apr 2020

Voluntary exercise could help prevent liver cancer, study shows

Liver cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death worldwide and is growing rapidly due to the "diabesity pandemic."

14 Apr 2020

Patients with chronic liver disease need specific care during COVID-19

Currently, there are limited data on the impact of pre-existing liver disease and the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with many open questions.

2 Apr 2020

Editorial challenges U.S. healthcare system to reconsider conventional care for diverticulitis

An editorial challenges physicians and the U.S. healthcare system to reconsider the current "one size fits all" care for diverticulitis and to employ a precision medicine approach to determine which patients should be referred for colonoscopy.

31 Mar 2020

Key COVID-19 information for gastroenterologists and patients with digestive conditions

A paper published today in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology by clinicians at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai outlines key information gastroenterologists and patients with chronic digestive conditions need to know about COVID-19, or coronavirus.

18 Mar 2020

$Acid reflux drugs may lead to increased risk of fractures in children$

Acid reflux drugs may lead to increased risk of fractures in children

Proton pump inhibitors - a widely used class of drugs used to treat acid reflux and related symptoms - may lead to an increased risk of fractures in children and adolescents, reports a study in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

17 Mar 2020

Breast milk may help protect preemies from developing sepsis

A component of breast milk may help protect premature babies from developing sepsis, a fast-moving, life-threatening condition triggered by infection.

16 Mar 2020

Low-dose aspirin linked to lower risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver-related mortality

Among adults at high risk of liver cancer, those who took low-dose aspirin were less likely to develop the disease or to die from liver-related causes.

12 Mar 2020

Immunosuppressive therapy does not increase risk of vulvar or vaginal cancer in women with IBD

In a new retrospective study, researchers found that the use of immunosuppressive therapy does not increase the occurrence or recurrence of vulvar or vaginal cancer in women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

11 Mar 2020

Levels of sBTLA proteins may be a marker of overall survival in patients with HCC

In the 2020 February 25 issue of Scientific Reports, a research group from the Department of Hepatology in Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan reported that levels of a circulating soluble immune checkpoint protein can be used as a potential marker to predict overall survival in patients with advanced HCC.

9 Mar 2020

New AI system can evaluate endoscopic findings of ulcerative colitis with accuracy

Assessments of patients with ulcerative colitis, which is a type of inflammatory bowel disease, are usually conducted via endoscopy and histology. But now, researchers from Japan have developed a system that may be more accurate than existing methods and may reduce the need for these patients to undergo invasive medical procedures.

6 Mar 2020