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.

Disease burden, health care costs higher in children with recurrent acute and chronic pancreatitis

The burden of recurrent acute and chronic pancreatitis in children may be higher than previously thought, with high costs related to repeated hospitalizations, report a pair of studies in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

5 Jan 2016

Study looks at long-term effects of psychological therapies in patients with irritable bowel syndrome

For some time doctors have known that psychological therapies can reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in the short term.

29 Dec 2015

IBD Plexus brings patients, researchers and doctors together to create IBD research initiative

For the first time, more than 40,000 IBD patients, researchers, and healthcare providers will be brought together by IBD Plexus to create the world's largest registry of IBD patients of all ages which will transform how IBD research is being conducted.

12 Dec 2015

Combination of antiviral medications can eradicate HCV infection in patients with advanced liver disease

A large multi-center clinical trial has found that a combination of antiviral medications can eradicate hepatitis C infection in more than 90 percent of patients with advanced liver disease. Known as the ASTRAL-4 trial, the study was co-led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Intermountain Medical Center and published online Nov. 17 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

1 Dec 2015

Certain platelet-derived growth factors can encourage regeneration of liver tissue following surgery

A team of researchers at the MedUni Vienna has discovered that certain platelet-derived growth factors are of major significance for the liver's regeneration processes. It has been shown that platelets can encourage the regrowth of liver tissue in patients who have had parts of their liver removed surgically.

23 Nov 2015

New drug combination may reduce need for complex regimens to treat hepatitis C

The prognosis for people with hepatitis C has improved dramatically in the last few years, thanks to the introduction of direct-acting anti-viral medications, including Harvoni (the brand name for a combination of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir) and Viekira Pack (a mix of ombitasvir, paritaprevir, ritonavir and dasabuvir).

19 Nov 2015

Potential treatment strategy for glycogen storage disease

Researchers from the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore and Duke Medicine have identified a potential treatment strategy for an often-fatal inherited glycogen storage disease.

18 Nov 2015

Vitamin E shows same efficacy in diabetic and nondiabetic patients

There have been numerous studies on the safety and efficacy of using vitamin E to treat nondiabetic patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but researchers at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases presented results of vitamin E in diabetic and nondiabetic patients.

17 Nov 2015

UC Irvine Health researchers develop one-step test to detect HCV infections

UC Irvine Health researchers have developed a cost-effective one-step test that screens, detects and confirms hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Dr. Ke-Qin Hu, director of hepatology services, will present findings at the Annual Meeting of American Association for the Study of Liver Disease in San Francisco, Nov. 14-16. Current blood-based HCV testing requires two steps and can be expensive, inconvenient and is not widely available or affordable globally.

15 Nov 2015

Intake of gluten increases risk of celiac disease in children

Intake of gluten up until two years of age increases risk of celiac disease at least two-fold in children with genetic risk factors for this disease, according a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

13 Nov 2015

Loyola presents Scientist of the Year awards

Susan Baker, PhD, a leading researcher of a class of viruses that includes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), has been named Senior Scientist of the Year at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Wei Qiu, PhD, who is researching the molecular mechanisms of liver cancer, has been named Junior Scientist of the Year.

6 Nov 2015

Researchers team up to evaluate biological and genetic differences of GI cancers in race, ethnicity

Americans of African descent are at a significantly higher risk for developing and dying from Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, which include colorectal and pancreatic cancers, compared to individuals who are of Caucasian descent.

5 Nov 2015

Cancer DNA in patient's bloodstream could help deliver personalized treatment for liver cancer

Fragments of cancer DNA circulating in a patient's bloodstream could help doctors deliver more personalized treatment for liver cancer, Japanese researchers report.

2 Nov 2015

SLU hepatologist receives $150,000 grant to study preventative strategies for TPN-associated disorders

When a child is born prematurely, providing nutrition intravenously can be lifesaver. Unfortunately it can also cause liver damage down the road.

29 Oct 2015

Commonwealth Lab expands access to new IBS test with national agreement with Quest

Commonwealth Laboratories, LLC ("Commonwealth") announced today that it has formed an agreement with Quest Diagnostics ("Quest") that will expand the availability of IBSchek™, a new laboratory developed blood test designed to help physicians quickly and reliably diagnose Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

From Quest Diagnostics 15 Oct 2015

Researchers identify a protein that could potentially stop cancer

Scientists know that most cancer cells use glucose to fuel their uncontrolled growth and now an international team of researchers has identified a protein which if switched off could stop the disease in its tracks.

22 Sep 2015

GENFIT develops reliable, non-invasive diagnostic tool for NASH patients

GENFIT, a biopharmaceutical company at the forefront of developing therapeutic and diagnostic solutions in metabolic and inflammatory diseases, that notably affect the liver or the gastrointestinal system, today announces the development of a new reliable and non-invasive diagnostic method, based on the measurement of a novel type of blood biomarker: small non-coding RNA, or miRNA.

16 Sep 2015

Prolonged sitting time, reduced physical activity contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Prolonged sitting time as well as reduced physical activity contribute to the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a study of middle-aged Koreans.

15 Sep 2015

Inhibition of FGFR3 receptor could be a new way of treating patients with liver cell cancer

In a recent study, scientists from the Institute for Cancer Research at MedUni Vienna have shown that the growth factor receptor FGFR3 increases the rate of growth and aggressiveness of hepatocellular carcinomas (liver cell cancer). Inhibition of this receptor could be a new and effective way of treating patients.