Liver Disease News and Research

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The liver is one of the largest solid organs of the body. It is located in the upper right part of the abdomen. Most of the organ lies under cover of the rib cage.

Study highlights racial disparities in liver transplantation listing

A new study of liver transplant centers confirms that non-Hispanic white patients get placed on liver transplant waitlists at disproportionately higher rates than non-Hispanic Black patients.

11 Jan 2021

‘Peer respites’ provide an alternative to psychiatric wards during pandemic

Mia McDermott is no stranger to isolation. Abandoned as an infant in China, she lived in an orphanage until a family in California adopted her as a toddler.

11 Jan 2021

Study: Frailty is a risk factor among women waiting for liver transplants

Women awaiting liver transplants in the United States are known to be about one-third more likely than men to become too ill to undergo surgery or die before receiving a liver.

4 Jan 2021

Animal study suggests palmitoylation inhibitor reduces virulence of SARS-CoV-2

A new study preprint on the bioRxiv* server demonstrates the ability of a fatty acid synthase inhibitor to improve the survival of mice infected with murine hepatitis virus. In so doing, it adds to the sum of knowledge about the relationship of SARS-CoV-2 with cholesterol metabolism in the host cell.

24 Dec 2020

A protein plays key role in the spread of stress signals among liver cells

A key protein in the communication channels between cells can allow a stress response in one liver cell to spread to neighboring liver cells in mice, causing otherwise healthy cells to become dysfunctional, according to new research co-led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Sheba Medical Center in Israel.

18 Dec 2020

Intensive childhood intervention program could help reduce 'deaths of despair'

Mortality rates among young adults are rising in the U.S. due in part to "deaths of despair" -- preventable deaths from suicide, drug overdoses and alcohol-related liver disease.

17 Dec 2020

Beta-blockers show anti-inflammatory effects in cirrhosis

Approximately 170,000 people die every year in Europe from the direct consequences of advanced chronic liver disease (cirrhosis).

10 Dec 2020

COVID-19 stay-at-home orders linked to increased alcohol consumption

Binge drinkers increased their alcohol consumption by nearly 20% during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, according to new research by public health experts at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

7 Dec 2020

Medical imaging startup gets FDA clearance for Liver Surface Nodularity software

AI Metrics, LLC, a medical imaging startup focused on leveraging artificial intelligence to improve patient care, has received United States Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance and CE mark clearance for the company's Liver Surface Nodularity software.

5 Dec 2020

Non-invasive MRI technology helps improve surgical decision-making in liver cancer care

A newly published study on patients with primary and secondary liver cancer shows how Perspectum’s non-invasive MRI technology can help predict those at increased risk of poor surgical outcomes, potentially reducing healthcare costs by shortening length of hospital stay.

4 Dec 2020

Researchers uncover potential glycine-based treatment for NAFLD

A new study further implicates low levels of the amino acid glycine in development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD. It also suggests addressing this might hold the key to a future treatment for the disease.

3 Dec 2020

Despite new CDC guidance, opioid prescription rates have not declined

Research from Saint Louis University finds that among patients at risk for opioid misuse, the odds of receiving a schedule II opioid for non-cancer pain were similar to those not at risk, despite new prescribing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

2 Dec 2020

NMR-based diagnostic tool could be used to detect fatty liver disease or liver fibrosis

About 25 percent of the U.S. population suffers from fatty liver disease, a condition that can lead to fibrosis of the liver and, eventually, liver failure.

2 Dec 2020

Could the keto diet help prevent or mitigate severe COVID-19?

A new study published in the journal of Translational Medicine reports that the ketogenic diet (KD) may be useful in this area, with its track history of effectual reduction of fat mass, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, and consequent improvement of cardiovascular health.

30 Nov 2020

Systemic inflammation increases over various stages of liver cirrhosis, shows study

Patients with liver cirrhosis display a wide range of clinical symptoms. A prospective study conducted by MedUni Vienna has now shown that blood levels of biomarkers for systemic inflammation increase over the various stages of the disease and can predict the development of complications, even in previously asymptomatic patients.

30 Nov 2020

Regulation of fat production is abnormal in obesity, shows study

Gut hormones play an important role in regulating fat production in the body. One key hormone, released a few hours after eating, turns off fat production by regulating gene expression in the liver, but this regulation is abnormal in obesity, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found in a new study.

25 Nov 2020