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.

Tenofovir DF safe and effective in treating adolescents with HBV

A recent clinical trial found that the adult antiviral drug, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (tenofovir DF), is safe and effective in treating adolescents with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Trial results published in the December issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), show that tenofovir DF suppressed HBV in 89% of pediatric participants.

6 Dec 2012

ALN RNAi therapeutic program represents novel approach for treatment of AAT deficiency

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that it has presented new pre-clinical data with an RNAi therapeutic targeting alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) for the treatment of liver disease associated with AAT deficiency. These data were presented at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD, "The Liver Meeting") held November 9-13, 2012 in Boston.

15 Nov 2012

Ligand Pharmaceuticals announces data from LG-7501 preclinical studies on HCV

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced that data from preclinical studies evaluating LG-7501 were featured in a poster presentation today at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases in Boston.

14 Nov 2012

Liver transplant waitlist mortality not simply due to lack of donor organs: Study

The majority of patients on the liver transplant waitlist who died received offers of high-quality donated livers that were declined prior to their death, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Therefore, efforts other than simply increasing the availability of donated livers or the number of offers are needed to substantially reduce the deaths among those waiting for a transplant.

7 Nov 2012

Genkyotex announces positive results from GKT137831 Phase I studies on healthy subjects

Genkyotex, the leading developer of NOX inhibitors to treat oxygen-radical mediated diseases, announced today that Phase I studies have demonstrated excellent safety and tolerability following single and multiple oral doses of GKT137831, the first in class NOX 1 and 4 inhibitor. In addition, GKT137831 demonstrated a favourable pharmacokinetic profile in these subjects.

3 Nov 2012

Study shows reduced risk of liver-related mortality in African American women with HIV/HCV

A new study shows that African American women coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are less likely to die from liver disease than Caucasian or Hispanic women. Findings in the November issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, indicate that lower liver-related mortality in African American women was independent of other causes of death.

1 Nov 2012

African American women coinfected with HIV and HCV less likely to die from liver disease than Caucasian or Hispanic women

31 Oct 2012

Transplant wait-list deaths not just due to organ availability: Study

Most liver transplant candidates who died or were removed from the transplant list actually received one or more liver donation offers, according to a recent UCSF study.

23 Oct 2012

Scientists look to use natural killer cells to target common form of liver cancer

Scientists at the University of Southampton are to investigate the best way to use natural killer cells (NK) to target the most common form of liver cancer. NK cells are able to directly kill cancer in the body and stimulate other cells in the immune system to help attack cancer.

14 Oct 2012

UK acid-related disease trends revealed

The incidence of Barrett’s esophagus in the UK has doubled in recent years, but the incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease is stable, study findings reveal.

11 Oct 2012

American Gastroenterological Association launches new electronic offerings

In order to best meet the needs of members, the American Gastroenterological Association has launched new electronic offerings to make it easier for busy health-care professionals to stay abreast of the latest research and news in gastroenterology while on the go.

10 Oct 2012

Treatment of hepatitis C can be successful in a prison population

Incarcerated individuals with chronic hepatitis C virus infection can be successfully treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, achieving similar rates of treatment completion and sustained viral response to that of infected individuals in the community, study results show.

8 Oct 2012

SLU professor to investigate natural history and progression of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency

Jeffrey Teckman, M.D., professor of pediatrics and biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University, has received a $1.4 million grant from the Alpha-1 Foundation to investigate the natural history and progression of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, an inherited disease that can cause liver damage in children as well as adults.

4 Oct 2012

Five prominent surgeons receive Honorary Fellowship from ACS

Last night Honorary Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons (ACS) was awarded to five prominent surgeons from Japan, the Philippines, Mexico, England, and Belgium during Convocation ceremonies that preceded the official opening of the 2012 ACS Annual Clinical Congress.

1 Oct 2012

Provectus amends and expands protocol for PV-10 Phase 1 hepatocellular carcinoma study

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, announced that it has amended and expanded the scope of the protocol PV-10-LC-01, "A Phase 1 Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetics of PV-10 Chemoablation of Cancer Metastatic to the Liver or Hepatocellular Carcinoma not Amenable to Resection or Transplant."

28 Sep 2012

Incarcerated patients with chronic HCV likely to achieve sustained viral response

Incarcerated patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are just as likely to respond to treatment for the disease as patients in the community, according to findings published in the October issue of Hepatology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

28 Sep 2012

People with AIDS more likely to develop esophageal and stomach carcinoma, NHLs

People with AIDS are at increased risk for developing esophageal and stomach carcinoma as well as non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs), according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

25 Sep 2012

RRM2 may be a facilitating factor in colorectal cancer and UV-induced DNA damage repair

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In addition, the incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer are on the rise. Recently, metabolic genes have received increasing and specific attention due to their potential role in carcinogenesis.

20 Sep 2012

Endothelial colony-forming cells show promise against inflammatory bowel disease

New research shows that a special population of stem cells found in cord blood has the innate ability to migrate to the intestine and contribute to the cell population there, suggesting the cells' potential to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).