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.

Centenary researchers find potential way to stop spread of tumors

By blocking a widespread enzyme, Centenary researchers have shown they can slow down the movement of cells and potentially stop tumours from spreading and growing.

16 Dec 2014

Study: Simeprevir-based therapy proves effective in treating chronic HCV infection

Researchers at Penn Medicine, in collaboration with a multi-center international team, have shown that a protease inhibitor, simeprevir, a once a day pill, along with interferon and ribavirin has proven as effective in treating chronic Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) as telaprevir with interferon and ribavirin, the standard of care in developing countries.

10 Dec 2014

Ashish Nimgaonkar wins AGA-Boston Scientific Career Development Technology & Innovation Award

The American Gastroenterological Association Research Foundation is pleased to announce that Ashish Nimgaonkar, MBBS, MTech, MS, from John Hopkins University, has received the inaugural AGA-Boston Scientific Career Development Technology & Innovation Award. This award is graciously supported by a grant from Boston Scientific, a leading innovator of medical solutions.

5 Dec 2014

Leading medical experts across the UK call for radical scale up of liver disease treatment

Leading medical experts today [Thursday 27 November] warn that rising numbers of deaths from liver disease - already the UK's third commonest cause of premature death - will be unavoidable without radical improvements in treatment and detection services, and tougher government policies to control the excessive alcohol use and obesity responsible for much of the national burden of liver disease.

27 Nov 2014

BWH researchers identify two-faced role of TIM-3 protein

A Brigham and Women's Hospital-led team has identified a long sought-after partner for a key immune protein, called TIM-3, that helps explain its two-faced role in the immune system -- sometimes dampening it, other times stimulating it. This newly identified partner not only sheds light on the inner workings of the immune system in diseases such as HIV, autoimmunity, and cancer, but also provides a critical path toward the development of novel treatments that target TIM-3.

26 Nov 2014

AGA's journals highlight important updates into treatments for cirrhosis, NAFLD

Cirrhosis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are two serious liver conditions with limited pharmacological treatments. The December issues of AGA's journals -- Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Gastroenterology -- highlight important updates into treatments for these two debilitating diseases.

23 Nov 2014

Two new oral medications post-transplant is safe, beneficial for patients with hepatitis C

All patients with hepatitis C who receive a liver transplant will eventually infect their new livers. These transplanted organs then require anti-viral treatment before they become severely damaged. But traditional post-transplant hepatitis C therapy can take up to a year, is potentially toxic and can lead to organ rejection.

11 Nov 2014

Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology joins AGA's other peer-reviewed journals

The American Gastroenterological Association is pleased to welcome a new member to its family of journals: Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (CMGH). CMGH will showcase cutting-edge digestive biology research in a digital open-access format.

6 Nov 2014

U-M researcher wins AGA-Covidien Research & Development Pilot Award in Technology

The American Gastroenterological Association Research Foundation is pleased to announce that Richard S. Kwon, MD, MS, from the University of Michigan, is the recipient of the inaugural AGA-Covidien Research & Development Pilot Award in Technology. This award is supported by a generous grant from Covidien, a leading global provider of health-care products.

27 Oct 2014

MGH, MIT partner to accelerate development of diagnostic tools and therapies

A novel partnership between Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Institute of Technology is addressing three major challenges in clinical medicine – improving the diagnosis of disease, developing new approaches to prevent and treat infectious and autoimmune diseases, and developing more accurate methods of diagnosing and treating major neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. While individual collaborations between MGH and MIT investigators are nothing new, this formalized strategic partnership is designed to accelerate the development of diagnostic tools and therapies.

16 Oct 2014

Inflammation in tissue creates a niche for cancer cells

In order to invade healthy tissue, tumor cells must leave the actual tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system. For this purpose, they use certain enzymes, proteases that break down the tissue surrounding the tumor, thus opening the way for tumor cells to reach blood or lymphatic vessels. To keep the proteases in check, the body produces inhibitors such as the protein TIMP-1, which thwart the proteases in their work.

15 Oct 2014

Decaffeinated coffee may benefit liver health

Researchers from the National Cancer Institute report that decaffeinated coffee drinking may benefit liver health. Results of the study published in Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, show that higher coffee consumption, regardless of caffeine content, was linked to lower levels of abnormal liver enzymes. This suggests that chemical compounds in coffee other than caffeine may help protect the liver.

10 Oct 2014

Discovery could lead to treatments for alcohol-related liver diseases

Researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine have identified epigenetic protein changes caused by binge drinking, a discovery that could lead to treatments for alcohol-related liver diseases.

9 Oct 2014

First three recipients of inaugural Harry Winston Fellowships named

Harry Winston, Inc. and the UCLA Children's Discovery and Innovation Institute have named the first three recipients of the inaugural Harry Winston Fellowships.

7 Oct 2014

Children who require long-term parenteral nutrition are at risk of IAFLD

Children who require long-term parenteral nutrition are at risk of a potentially devastating complication called intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IAFLD). The diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of IAFLD are discussed in a new position paper in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, official journal of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

5 Oct 2014

Taller individuals are less likely to develop esophageal cancer

Taller individuals are less likely to develop esophageal cancer and it's precursor, Barrett's esophagus, according to a new study1 in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

26 Sep 2014

Restarting infliximab therapy after drug holiday is safe for patients with IBD

Restarting infliximab therapy after a drug holiday is safe and effective for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a new study1 in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

8 Sep 2014

Liver injury caused by herbals and dietary supplements increases 20% in U.S. study group

New research shows that liver injury caused by herbals and dietary supplements increased from 7% to 20% in a U.S. study group over a ten-year period.

4 Sep 2014

Mount Sinai researchers receive federal funding to treat HCV in primary care settings

With the number of people with chronic hepatitis C reaching record levels in New York City and the recent availability of more effective treatments, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai recently announced the receipt of $1.9 million in federal funding to increase its capacity to treat HCV in primary care settings.

19 Aug 2014

High school recipients receive $2,500 to support digestive disease research projects

The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Research Foundation has announced the 2014 AGA-Eli and Edythe Broad Student Research Fellowship Award recipients. This award stimulates interest in digestive disease research among high school students by supporting budding scientists' research projects.

8 Aug 2014