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Researchers discover novel biomarker that could help predict preeclampsia

University of Iowa researchers have discovered a biomarker that could give expecting mothers and their doctors the first simple blood test to reliably predict that a pregnant woman may develop preeclampsia, at least as early as 6 weeks into the pregnancy.

9 Jul 2014

Adults with extreme obesity have increased risks of dying at young age

Adults with extreme obesity have increased risks of dying at a young age from cancer and many other causes including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney and liver diseases, according to results of an analysis of data pooled from 20 large studies of people from three countries.

8 Jul 2014

Genetic mutations in liver cells may drive tumor formation in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Two genetic mutations in liver cells may drive tumor formation in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), the second most common form of liver cancer, according to a research published in the July issue of the journal Nature.

8 Jul 2014

Treating ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are idiopathic (we don’t know the cause) inflammatory diseases (IBD) of the colon and/or small bowel. They are chronic in that we do not have a medical cure and are differentiated from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) by inflammation that causes ulcerations of the GI tract.

7 Jul 2014

New meta-analysis highlights significant gaps in hepatitis C care

A new meta-analysis published online in PLOS ONE by infectious disease and epidemiology specialists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania highlights significant gaps in hepatitis C care that will prove useful as the U.S. health care system continues to see an influx of patients with the disease because of improved screening efforts and new, promising drugs.

3 Jul 2014

Study reveals mechanism underlying abnormal fat accumulation in HIV patients

Building upon their earlier research on the biology of fat metabolism, Joslin scientists discovered that microRNAs -small RNA molecules that play important roles in regulation in many types of tissue - play a major role in the distribution and determination of fat cells and whole body metabolism.

3 Jul 2014

Isis Pharmaceuticals gets $1 million from GSK to discover and develop drugs for HBV

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has earned a $1 million payment from GlaxoSmithKline related to the advancement of its program to develop antisense drugs to treat hepatitis B virus (HBV).

2 Jul 2014

Surgical treatment improves survival for metastatic melanoma patients whose disease is limited to the liver

Surgical resection markedly improves survival among metastatic melanoma patients whose disease is isolated to a few areas in the liver, according to new study findings published in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

2 Jul 2014

New gene therapy for Acute Intermittent Porphyria

Angeles suffers from a severe and rare genetic disease called Acute Intermittent Porphyria (AIP). This means, one of her genes restrains her liver to produce a specific protein needed for the metabolism of the blood. During an AIP attack Angeles usually feels intense abdominal pain, and her mental status changes. Women live at an increased risk to trigger the symptoms, because porphyria is related to the menstrual cycle.

2 Jul 2014

Exome sequencing improves diagnosis of mitochondrial disease

Use of exome sequencing improved the ability to identify the underlying gene mutations in patients with biochemically defined defects affecting multiple mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes (enzymes that are involved in basic energy production), according to a study in the July 2 issue of JAMA.

2 Jul 2014

Drug everolimus fails to improve overall survival in advanced liver cancer patients

Despite strong preclinical data, the drug everolimus failed to improve overall survival in patients with advanced liver cancer, compared to placebo, according to a study in the July 2 issue of JAMA.

2 Jul 2014

New compound blocks action of key 'gatekeeper' enzyme for malaria parasite survival

Melbourne researchers are homing in on a new target for malaria treatment, after developing a compound that blocks the action of a key 'gatekeeper' enzyme essential for malaria parasite survival.

2 Jul 2014

Extract of Chinese herb thunder god vine suppresses pancreatic cancer cell

A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer—the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the U.S.—can be devastating. Due in part to aggressive cell replication and tumor growth, pancreatic cancer progresses quickly and has a low five-year survival rate (less than 5 percent).

1 Jul 2014

Heavy drinkers at greater risk of developing pneumonia and ARDS

Heavy drinking damages the body in many ways. In addition to liver failure, alcoholics are at a much greater risk of developing pneumonia and life threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), for which there is no treatment.

1 Jul 2014

Novel method triples length of time organs can be preserved for transplantation

A system developed by investigators at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Engineering in Medicine allowed successful transplantation of rat livers after preservation for as long as four days, more than tripling the length of time organs currently can be preserved.

30 Jun 2014

Study offers detailed insights into homeless, alcohol-dependent patients

A phenomenological study offers detailed insights into homeless, alcohol-dependent patients often stigmatized by the public and policymakers as drains on the health care system, showing the constellation of reasons they are incapable of escaping social circumstances that perpetuate and exacerbate their problems.

28 Jun 2014

Research provides new insight into effects of adding fructose to Western diet high in fat

A high-fructose, high-fat diet can cause harmful effects to the livers of adult rats, according to new research published in Experimental Physiology, providing new insight into the effects of adding fructose to a Western diet high in fat.

28 Jun 2014

EMA CHMP adopts positive opinion for Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Daklinza for HCV treatment

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion recommending that Daklinza (daclatasvir), an investigational, potent pan-genotypic NS5A complex inhibitor (in vitro), be granted approval for use in combination with other medicinal products for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in adults.

27 Jun 2014

Hormonal imbalance is not the sole cause of childhood obesity, say experts

The number of children who are obese remains alarmingly high in the U.S. and, unfortunately, diseases associated with obesity are on the rise.

26 Jun 2014

Preventing antibiotic side effects: an interview with Florence Séjourné, CEO, Da Volterra

Like all drugs, antibiotics can have side-effects when administered to people. The most common (and often benign) side effect people experience when taking antibiotics is “associated diarrhea”. This illustrates the fact that antibiotics have an impact on the intestine!

25 Jun 2014

Liver News and Research

Researchers discover novel biomarker that could help predict preeclampsia

Adults with extreme obesity have increased risks of dying at young age

Genetic mutations in liver cells may drive tumor formation in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Treating ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease

New meta-analysis highlights significant gaps in hepatitis C care

Study reveals mechanism underlying abnormal fat accumulation in HIV patients

Isis Pharmaceuticals gets $1 million from GSK to discover and develop drugs for HBV

Surgical treatment improves survival for metastatic melanoma patients whose disease is limited to the liver

New gene therapy for Acute Intermittent Porphyria

Exome sequencing improves diagnosis of mitochondrial disease

Drug everolimus fails to improve overall survival in advanced liver cancer patients

New compound blocks action of key 'gatekeeper' enzyme for malaria parasite survival

Extract of Chinese herb thunder god vine suppresses pancreatic cancer cell

Heavy drinkers at greater risk of developing pneumonia and ARDS

Novel method triples length of time organs can be preserved for transplantation

Study offers detailed insights into homeless, alcohol-dependent patients

Research provides new insight into effects of adding fructose to Western diet high in fat

EMA CHMP adopts positive opinion for Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Daklinza for HCV treatment

Hormonal imbalance is not the sole cause of childhood obesity, say experts

Preventing antibiotic side effects: an interview with Florence Séjourné, CEO, Da Volterra

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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