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.

New DNA analysis may guide personalized management of hepatocellular carcinoma

Detection of small fragments of tumor DNA, known as circulating tumor DNA, in a patient's pre-surgery serum samples predicts early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma and may guide treatment, according to a study published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the basic and translational science journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

10 Sep 2015

Inhalation exposure to PM2.5 pollution triggers liver fibrosis

A research team led by Kezhong Zhang, Ph.D., at the Wayne State University School of Medicine's Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, has discovered that exposure to air pollution has a direct adverse health effect on the liver and causes liver fibrosis, an illness associated with metabolic disease and liver cancer.

3 Sep 2015

MACC1 gene can help predict better treatment options for patients with Klatskin carcinoma

Bile duct cancer is rare and is usually detected too late. Often only extensive liver surgery can help or, in rare cases, liver transplantation. But which patients will benefit from surgery and which will not, because their risk of cancer recurrence is too high? With the oncogene MACC1 as a biomarker, physicians for the first time have a tool to decide which treatment option is best for patients with Klatskin carcinoma, one type of bile duct cancer.

1 Sep 2015

Ascletis receives TFDA approval to begin Phase II trial of interferon-free HCV regimen

Ascletis today announced it received the approval from the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) to start phase II clinical trial for its all-oral interferon (IFN)-free regimen to treat chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

31 Aug 2015

Researchers identify new virus that plays role in rare type of liver cancer

More than a cause of a simple infection, viruses are often involved in the development of serious diseases. Such is the case with liver cancer, which often develops in an organ that has been weakened by hepatitis B or C virus.

28 Aug 2015

Theresa Alenghat receives 2015 AGA-CCFA-Janssen Research Award in IBD Epigenetics Research

The American Gastroenterological Association, in partnership with the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America and Janssen Biotech, Inc., announced today that Theresa Alenghat, VMD, PhD, from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH, was awarded with the 2015 AGA-CCFA-Janssen Research Award in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Epigenetics Research.

27 Aug 2015

AGA releases proposed alternate pathway to recertification

Frustrated by a maintenance of certification process that doesn't improve patient care, the American Gastroenterological Association this week released a proposed alternate pathway to recertification that is based on established learning theory. It eliminates the high-stakes examination and replaces it with active, adaptive, self-directed learning modules that allow for continuous feedback.

21 Aug 2015

Advanced liver damage in hepatitis C patients grossly underestimated and underdiagnosed

The number of hepatitis C patients suffering from advanced liver damage may be grossly underestimated and underdiagnosed, according to a study led by researchers at Henry Ford Health System and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

19 Aug 2015

Risk of hepatobiliary cancer higher in women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy

In a new study of more than 125,000 pregnant women in Sweden, researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy found that the risk of hepatobiliary cancer and immune-mediated and cardiovascular diseases later in life is higher in women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) than in women without this condition.

12 Aug 2015

Study uncovers role of intra-abdominal fat cells in development and progression of IBD

Intra-abdominal fat cells may contribute to the development and progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a study published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the basic science journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

6 Aug 2015

Genotype A HBV mapped in acute, chronic Japanese patients

Not only is genotype A the most common genotype among Japanese patients with acute hepatitis B virus infection, but its prevalence is spreading among young adults with chronic HBV infection, shows a nationwide study.

4 Aug 2015

Northwestern gets $17.5 million NIH grant to invent, develop implantable drug delivery system for HIV prevention

Northwestern Medicine scientists have received a five-year, $17.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for an interdisciplinary project that aims to invent, develop and test an implantable drug delivery system to protect high-risk individuals from HIV infection for up to a year at a time.

4 Aug 2015

Scientists produce functional liver cells from human embryonic and genetic engineered stem cells

The liver plays a critical role in human metabolism. As the gatekeeper of the digestive track, this massive organ is responsible for drug breakdown and is therefore the first to be injured due to overdose or misuse. Evaluating this drug-induced liver injury is a critical part of pharmaceutical drug discovery and must be carried out on human liver cells. Regretfully, human liver cells, called hepatocytes, are in scarce supply as they can only be isolated from donated organs.

31 Jul 2015

Iron supplementation may increase risk of neurodegeneration, shows research

Is it possible that too much iron in infant formula may potentially increase risk for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's in adulthood -- and are teeth the window into the past that can help us tell? T

25 Jul 2015

New review article analyzes pros and cons of different treatment approaches to gallbladder disease

More than 25 million Americans have gallstones, and each year about 1 million new cases are diagnosed. Each year about 1.8 million people develop abdominal pain as a result of gallstones and go see a doctor about it. About 40 percent of these, more than 725,000 people a year, ultimately have surgery to resolve the problem.

23 Jul 2015

Infants born with mutation in PLVAP gene develop severe protein losing enteropathy

Newborn children born with a mutation in the Plasmalemma Vesicle Associated Protein (PLVAP) gene develop severe protein losing enteropathy, according to a case study1 published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the basic science journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

23 Jul 2015

MD Anderson researchers find high prevalence of hereditary CRC among people diagnosed before the age of 35

Hereditary colorectal cancers, caused by inherited gene mutations, are relatively rare for most patients. However, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered a particularly high prevalence of hereditary cancers among those diagnosed with the disease before the age of 35. They suggest that these patients should undergo genetic counseling to determine if their families may be at an elevated risk.

21 Jul 2015

Mayo Clinic researchers test Spheroid Reservoir Bioartificial Liver to treat patients with acute liver failure

Approximately 30,000-40,000 people die from liver disease each year, according to the American Liver Foundation. For people who experience acute liver failure, the only proven treatment has been liver transplantation. Researchers at Mayo Clinic have developed and are testing an alternative to liver transplantation called the Spheroid Reservoir Bioartificial Liver that can support healing and regeneration of the injured liver, and improve outcomes and reduce mortality rates for patients with acute liver failure — without requiring a transplant.

20 Jul 2015

NuSI launches groundbreaking clinical study to halt nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children

Nutrition Science Initiative has launched the first-ever randomized, controlled clinical trial to determine whether removing added sugars from the diet can halt or even reverse nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children.

16 Jul 2015

Biosimilars show promise for children with IBD, but more research needed

Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who are doing well on specific biological medications should not be switched to recently approved "biosimilar" products, concludes an expert consensus statement of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

14 Jul 2015