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.

Digna Biotech receives FDA Orphan Drug status for cardiotrophin-1 to treat ALF

Digna Biotech, a Spanish biotechnological company, announces that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) Orphan Drug status for use in the treatment of acute liver failure.

22 Sep 2011

New FDA-approved antiviral drugs offer treatment hope for hepatitis C

The Methodist Hospital in Houston is excited to share significant news for patients who need treatment for hepatitis C genotype 1, a viral infection that causes liver inflammation that can lead to diminished liver function or symptoms for liver failure.

21 Sep 2011

Shorter treatment with telaprevir-based combination regimen may benefit hepatitis C patients

Treatment with a telaprevir-based combination regimen for hepatitis C - heretofore a chronic, destructive and difficult to manage disease - effectively can be shortened to six months in about two-thirds of patients, finds a new study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

16 Sep 2011

NEJM publishes data from Vertex INCIVEK Phase 3 study on genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced that the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published data from a Phase 3 study of INCIVEK (telaprevir) tablets in people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C who were new to treatment.

15 Sep 2011

Pure maple syrup may promote a healthy liver

New research conducted at the University of Tokyo suggests that pure maple syrup may promote a healthy liver.

14 Sep 2011

Cardiotrophin 1 has marked effect on fat and glucose metabolism

Scientists from the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) of the University of Navarra (Spain) have discovered that cardiotrophin 1, a protein synthesized by muscle cells and adipose tissue, has a marked effect on fat and glucose metabolism.

13 Sep 2011

Low-dose aspirin increases risk for GI bleeding

The risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding needs to be considered when determining the potential preventive benefits associated with low-dose aspirin for cardiovascular disease and cancer.

12 Sep 2011

BioAlliance Pharma announces oral communication of Livatag Phase II trial results on liver cancer

BioAlliance Pharma SA, a company dedicated to specialty and orphan oncology products, today announces oral communication of the Phase II clinical trial results of its orphan product Livatag at the annual congress of ILCA, the only international organization devoted exclusively to liver cancer research with participation of worldwide best specialists.

6 Sep 2011

Dendritic cells play central role in regulation of acetaminophen's toxicity

NYU School of Medicine researchers have discovered that dendritic cells in the liver have a protective role against the toxicity of acetaminophen, the widely used over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reducer for adults and children.

2 Sep 2011

Patients with liver disease may now access UCSD's new Nevada clinic

Patients in Nevada seeking care for liver disease may now access the university-level expertise of UC San Diego Health System's Center for Hepatobiliary Disease and Abdominal Transplantation.

25 Aug 2011

Researchers discover expression of IL-37 that protects mice from colitis

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which affects more than 1 million patients in North America, results from an uncontrolled immune response triggered by environmental factors, such as bacteria, in people genetically predisposed to the disorder. Ulcerative colitis, or inflammation of the lining of the colon, is one such condition.

24 Aug 2011

Survival for patients with HCC increases with radioembolization

Analysis revealed survival for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is achievable using 90Y-resin microsphere radioembolization. The analysis conducted at multiple centers across Europe showed that the procedure is likely to provide survival benefit across different tumor stages, including patients with advanced liver cancer and with limited treatment options.

23 Aug 2011

Vertex receives Health Canada approval for INCIVEK to treat hepatitis C

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced that Health Canada has approved INCIVEK tablets for a broad group of people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C with compensated liver disease, including cirrhosis.

23 Aug 2011

Saffron promotes apoptosis and inhibits growth of cancerous cells

New research suggests that saffron provides a significant chemopreventive effect against liver cancer in animal models. When saffron was administered to rats with diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver cancer an inhibition of cell proliferation and stimulation of apoptosis was observed. Full findings appear in the September issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

22 Aug 2011

New CDI therapeutic approach may offer treatment for other bacterial diseases

Researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have discovered a molecular process by which the body can defend against the effects of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), pointing the way to a promising new approach for treating an intestinal disease that has become more common, more severe and harder to cure in recent years.

22 Aug 2011

Scientists identify new therapeutic target for ADHD, other neuropsychiatric disorders

A biochemical pathway long associated with diarrhea and intestinal function may provide a new therapeutic target for treating ADHD other neuropsychiatric disorders, according to a team of scientists from China and the United States reporting Aug. 11 in Science.

12 Aug 2011

Bear bile compound may help treat heart attack: Study

The compound, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), is already used to lower cholesterol and help dissolve gallstones, and it's a key ingredient in many traditional Chinese medicines, which use bear bile. According to the latest research from Imperial College London it might also be able to treat abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia, in fetuses and heart attack victims.

3 Aug 2011

Ursodeoxycholic acid could help prevent disturbances in heart's normal rhythm

A synthesised compound which is also found in bear bile could help prevent disturbances in the heart's normal rhythm, according to research published today in the journal Hepatology by a team from Imperial College London.

2 Aug 2011

Metabolic syndrome increases risk of developing HCC and ICC primary liver cancers

Incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) have increased in the U.S. This population-based study publishing in the August issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, found that metabolic syndrome significantly increases risk of developing these primary liver cancers.

22 Jul 2011