Liver News and Research

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Cancerous lung tumors can alter metabolism by hijacking circadian mechanisms

University of California, Irvine scientists who study how circadian rhythms - our own body clocks - control liver function have discovered that cancerous lung tumors can hijack this process and profoundly alter metabolism.

6 May 2016

Simple test for measuring bile acids in biological fluids can help diagnose severe fat storage disorder

Researchers have developed a quick and simple method for measuring bile acids in biological fluids that can be used to rapidly diagnosis a severe fat storage disorder that can lead to liver disease in infancy and neurological dysfunction starting in childhood or early adult life.

5 May 2016

Enzyme previously thought beneficial could pose threat to developing embryos

A pair of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists have discovered that an enzyme previously thought only to be beneficial could, in fact, pose significant danger to developing embryos. The new research could have implications not only for prenatal development but also for treating lymphedema and liver damage resulting from acetaminophen overdose.

5 May 2016

Sexually-assaulted women more likely to develop variety of medical conditions

Researchers have found that a variety of conditions are more common in women before and after sexual assault.

5 May 2016

High-fructose diet during pregnancy may affect fetal growth

Consuming a high-fructose diet during pregnancy may cause defects in the placenta and restrict fetal growth, potentially increasing a baby's risk for metabolic health problems later in life, according to research in mice and people by a team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

5 May 2016

Antiviral therapies equal survival rate of HCV-related cirrhosis patients with general population

The survival rate of patients with hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis who respond well to antiviral therapies equals that of the general population, say investigators in the Journal of Hepatology.

5 May 2016

Michigan researchers use 'kidney on a chip' device to measure effect of drug doses on kidney cells

University of Michigan researchers have used a "kidney on a chip" device to mimic the flow of medication through human kidneys and measure its effect on kidney cells.

5 May 2016

Bayer-new phase 3 liver cancer data

Bayer has announced that a Phase III trial evaluating its oncology compound Stivarga® (regorafenib) tablets for the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has met its primary endpoint of a statistically significant improvement in overall survival. The study, called RESORCE, evaluated the efficacy and safety of regorafenib in patients with HCC whose disease has progressed after treatment with sorafenib. The safety and tolerability were generally consistent with the known profile of regorafenib. Detailed efficacy and safety analyses from this study are expected to be presented at an upcoming scientific congress.

4 May 2016

Long-term use of herbal remedies may not guarantee safety

Millions of people around the world use herbal health remedies, following a tradition that began millennia ago. Many believe that herbs are safe because they have been used for many years, but researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Stony Brook University are raising awareness that long-term use of herbal remedies is no guarantee of their safety. The invited commentary appears in EMBO reports.

4 May 2016

New study links cathepsin S protein to tear secretion in Sjogren's syndrome patients

The autoimmune disorder Sjogren's syndrome is often overlooked or misdiagnosed because the symptoms are similar to other conditions. Its characteristic symptoms are dry eyes and dry mouth, and reduced tear production is used as part of the diagnosis.

4 May 2016

Controlling cholesterol metabolism could help reduce pancreatic cancer spread

Researchers have shown how controlling cholesterol metabolism in pancreatic cancer cells reduces metastasis, pointing to a potential new treatment using drugs previously developed for atherosclerosis.

4 May 2016

Hepatitis B virus screening for Asian American adults can help prevent onset of liver diseases

A community-based hepatitis B virus screening effort led by UC Davis researchers found that targeted outreach to Asian American populations can identify groups at high risk for infection and direct them to appropriate follow-up care to help prevent the onset of liver diseases, including cancer.

3 May 2016

Study on Zika exposure among HIV-infected patients in Ghana

What many may not know is that the Zika virus is a distant cousin of hepatitis C, a blood borne-virus that attacks the liver and often co-infects HIV patients.

2 May 2016

Small doses of cancer drug may be potential treatment for sepsis and other pandemics

Results from laboratory experiments and mouse studies suggest that small doses of drugs from a specific class of approved cancer medications called topoisomerase 1 (top1) inhibitors may protect against the overwhelming immune response to infection that sometimes leads to sepsis, a bacterial condition that kills as many as 500,000 people in the United States each year.

30 Apr 2016

Exposure to fine particulate matter in air can increase risk of cancer-specific mortality

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published a series of monographs on the evaluation of various carcinogenic risks. In a monograph on air pollution, the organization pointed out the difficulty of assessing the effects of pollution on multiple types of cancers, given their different etiologies, risk factors and variability in the composition of air pollutants in space and time. However, the IARC identified certain key components of air pollution, including particulates.

30 Apr 2016

Increasing number of sickest liver transplant candidates delisted from wait list, study finds

The sickest liver transplant candidates should be first in line when a donor liver becomes available, but transplant centers are increasingly removing these individuals from the waiting list, considering them "too sick to transplant," an analysis of nationwide transplant data finds. The study appears online as an "article in press" on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website in advance of print publication.

29 Apr 2016

Studies on role of vitamin A in heart health have drawn opposite conclusions

Vitamin A is involved in many bodily processes, including vision and skin health, but its role in the heart is unclear. While vitamin A is critical for heart development of embryos—vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy leads to an abnormal heart and prenatal death—studies on vitamin A's role in heart health have drawn opposite conclusions.

29 Apr 2016

New version of obesity drug could help people reduce weight without experiencing anxiety, depression

A new version of an obesity drug that caused serious psychiatric side effects could help people lose pounds without experiencing the anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts previously associated with it. The research, published in Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, shows that the new version of the drug can still work without reaching the brain in rats, avoiding the side effects.

29 Apr 2016

Daily chocolate consumption may improve cardio-metabolic health

A new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition appears to back up the adage that a little of what you fancy does you good.

29 Apr 2016

WFA+-M2BP levels linked to liver fibrosis, HCC progression in chronic HBV

Japanese researchers have found that serum levels of glycosylated Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2 binding protein are a useful marker of not only the degree of liver fibrosis, but also progression to hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

27 Apr 2016

Liver News and Research

Cancerous lung tumors can alter metabolism by hijacking circadian mechanisms

Simple test for measuring bile acids in biological fluids can help diagnose severe fat storage disorder

Enzyme previously thought beneficial could pose threat to developing embryos

Sexually-assaulted women more likely to develop variety of medical conditions

High-fructose diet during pregnancy may affect fetal growth

Antiviral therapies equal survival rate of HCV-related cirrhosis patients with general population

Michigan researchers use 'kidney on a chip' device to measure effect of drug doses on kidney cells

Bayer-new phase 3 liver cancer data

Long-term use of herbal remedies may not guarantee safety

New study links cathepsin S protein to tear secretion in Sjogren's syndrome patients

Controlling cholesterol metabolism could help reduce pancreatic cancer spread

Hepatitis B virus screening for Asian American adults can help prevent onset of liver diseases

Study on Zika exposure among HIV-infected patients in Ghana

Small doses of cancer drug may be potential treatment for sepsis and other pandemics

Exposure to fine particulate matter in air can increase risk of cancer-specific mortality

Increasing number of sickest liver transplant candidates delisted from wait list, study finds

Studies on role of vitamin A in heart health have drawn opposite conclusions

New version of obesity drug could help people reduce weight without experiencing anxiety, depression

Daily chocolate consumption may improve cardio-metabolic health

WFA+-M2BP levels linked to liver fibrosis, HCC progression in chronic HBV

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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