Hepatology News and Research

RSS

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

Common IBD drugs not linked to increased risk of serious infections in children

In a new register-based study, Swedish and Danish researchers show that common drugs for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, so-called TNF-α inhibitors, are not linked to increased risk of serious infections in children. Previous studies have shown an increased risk in corresponding adult patients.

5 Sep 2019

Research shows benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy for IBS continue 2 years after treatment

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a common gastrointestinal disorder affecting 10 - 20 per cent of people. Abdominal pain, bloating and altered bowel habit significantly affect patient's quality of life and can force them to take days off work.

4 Sep 2019

Exploring the impact of gut bacteria on gut health

Why do certain gastrointestinal bacteria cause disease in some people but not others? What are the underlying mechanisms responsible for this? These questions are now being addressed by a new Emmy Noether Independent Junior Research Group at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

29 Aug 2019

Researchers discover how fatty liver disease develops in lean people

Researchers from The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) have discovered how fatty liver disease develops in lean people, aiding the development of potential treatments for these patients.

26 Aug 2019

Sending reminders and text instructions increases rate of colonoscopies

Having simple text conversations with patients one week before they are scheduled for a colonoscopy dramatically decreased the "no-show" rates, according to a recent study conducted by Penn Medicine researchers.

26 Aug 2019

Enzyme induced by stress associated with liver cancer growth

An enzyme induced by stress to help reduce production of damaging free radicals is also used by liver cancer to regulate two major cell proliferation pathways that enable the cancer to thrive, scientists report.

22 Aug 2019

Liver dysfunction provokes cerebral molecular disturbances in two weeks

The liver plays a vital role as a filter in the human body. But what happens when it malfunctions? Researchers from the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne, the Vaud University Hospital Centre, the Centre for Biomedical Imaging, the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne and the University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland, teamed up to perform a detailed analysis of hepatic encephalopathy, a type of brain damage caused by chronic liver disease.

19 Aug 2019

Antiviral drugs for hepatitis C reduce liver-related deaths by nearly half, study shows

A new study from the UT Southwestern Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center demonstrates that antiviral drugs for hepatitis C reduce liver-related deaths by nearly 50% in patients with a history of liver cancer.

10 Aug 2019

HistoIndex, ILBS launch Center of Excellence to enhance NASH diagnostics and clinical trials

In a cross border collaboration, HistoIndex and the Institute of Liver & Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in New Delhi, India have jointly launched a Centre of Excellence to aid diagnostics and clinical trials focusing on NASH.

8 Aug 2019

Liver function may be important in Alzheimer’s disease risk

A new study shows a strong link between altered liver function and the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This correlates with recent data on the role played by diseases affecting the systemic metabolism, such as diabetes and high blood cholesterol, in disruptions of brain function as in AD.

31 Jul 2019

Trial shows nor-urso as an effective treatment option for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

A team led by Michael Trauner at MedUni Vienna's Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology demonstrated the beneficial effect of synthetically produced bile acid with the active agent nor-ursodeoxycholic acid (nor-urso) in the hitherto incurable liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) around two years ago.

29 Jul 2019

Genetic mutations link rare skin disorder and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Fatty liver disease is often associated with alcoholism, but more than a third of Americans have fatty livers despite moderate or absent alcohol consumption.

25 Jul 2019

Study highlights need to consider patient's weight before prescribing new cancer drugs

A new class of cancer drugs just now entering the marketplace seems promising so far, but researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago urge doctors to take into account a patient's weight and liver status before prescribing them once they come on the market.

2 Jul 2019

Scientists develop new way to detect and switch off ticking time bomb of liver disease

A new way of detecting liver disease decades before it can become fatal has been developed by a team of scientists at the University of Dundee and NHS Tayside.

26 Jun 2019

Study shows how gastric stem cells fight colonizing bacteria

Stem cells are not only key players in tissue regeneration, they are also capable of taking direct action against bacteria.

25 Jun 2019

AASLD Foundation awards $3.42 million for liver disease research and advanced hepatology training

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Foundation, the largest private supporter of liver disease research and training in the United States, today announced its investment of $3.42 million in Research and Career Development Awards granted to 29 researchers and clinicians to conduct innovative liver disease research and seek advanced hepatology training.

25 Jun 2019

Researchers identify genes linked with survival in children with biliary atresia

Scientists at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have identified an expression pattern of 14 genes at the time of diagnosis that predicts two year, transplant-free survival in children with biliary atresia – the most common diagnosis leading to liver transplants in children.

19 Jun 2019

IMAS survey reveals 74% of people living with axial spondyloarthritis struggle to find a job

The European results of the International Map of Axial Spondyloarthritis reveal that people living with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) – a long-term inflammatory spine condition which is as prevalent as rheumatoid arthritis – face uncertainty and worry for their future, with 74% reporting difficulties finding a job due to the condition.

From Novartis 13 Jun 2019

Plant-derived siRNAs could bring a 'green revolution' in RNAi tools and therapeutics

"Green revolution" in the early 1950s, the extensive cultivation of Dwarf Rice solves the food problem in developing countries. At present, chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been a major public health problem.

11 Jun 2019

Allergies linked to higher junk food consumption, suggests new study

Many childhood food allergies could be due to eating junk food, according to a new study. Children with food allergies, and children who eat a lot of junk food, have increased body levels of molecules called advanced glycation end-products (AGEs).

10 Jun 2019