Biliary atresia News and Research

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Biliary atresia (BA) is a condition characterized by a discontinuity or obliteration of the extrahepatic or biliary system that results in bile flow obstruction.

New pathway speeds up biliary atresia diagnosis in newborns

BA is difficult to detect because early jaundice can resemble common newborn conditions, and pale stools may not appear immediately.

24 Jun 2026

New insights into long-term liver injury after Kasai portoenterostomy for biliary atresia

BA is characterized by early destruction of the bile ducts, leading to cholestasis, inflammation, and rapid fibrosis shortly after birth.

16 Jan 2026

Laparoscopic biliary atresia surgery in newborns reduces blood loss, improves jaundice recovery

Nagoya University researchers and their collaborators have found that minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery significantly reduces blood loss and improves jaundice recovery compared to traditional open surgery for treating biliary atresia-a serious liver condition in newborns.

25 Nov 2025

Study clarifies how biliary atresia overlaps with multiple congenital syndromes

Biliary atresia (BA) represents one of the leading causes of pediatric liver failure, often requiring surgical intervention or transplantation in early infancy.

12 Nov 2025

Japan's registry transforms outcomes for infants with biliary atresia

Biliary atresia (BA) is the leading cause of liver failure in infants, marked by progressive destruction of the bile ducts. Until the late 1950s, the disease was universally fatal, with no effective treatments. The development of the Kasai portoenterostomy brought new hope, but outcomes varied widely, and many patients still required liver transplantation (LTx).

8 Oct 2025

Europe’s patchwork approach to biliary atresia screening revealed

Published (DOI: 10.1136/wjps-2025-001026) on May 12, 2025, in World Journal of Pediatric Surgery, researchers from Geneva University Hospitals conducted the first scoping review of BA screening efforts across Europe.

1 Jul 2025

Europe faces uneven progress in biliary atresia screening efforts

20 Jun 2025

Exploring mouse models for studying liver fibrosis regression

Liver fibrosis is a progressive and potentially reversible condition that results from chronic liver damage, which can be caused by a variety of factors, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), alcohol abuse, and viral hepatitis.

8 Nov 2024

Maternal transfer of healthier gut bacteria helps neonates to resist biliary atresia

Biliary atresia is a rare disease that occurs when a delicate tree-like set of ducts that carry bile from the liver to the intestine becomes scarred and blocked. While some treatments can slow the damage, most children who develop biliary atresia will die without a liver transplant.

10 Jan 2022

Study pinpoints an entirely new approach for treatment of biliary atresia

Biliary atresia is the largest cause of end-stage liver fibrosis in children and the main reason children need liver transplants. Despite many years of worldwide research, scientists have not yet found a way to prevent the condition.

7 Sep 2021

Researchers show how the ductal system connecting digestive organs is formed

A specialized system of ducts transports bile and enzymes from the liver and pancreas to the intestine. In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have shown how this ductal system is formed. The new knowledge can help understanding how congenital diseases in that part of the body arise.

3 Dec 2019

Researchers identify genes linked with survival in children with biliary atresia

Scientists at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have identified an expression pattern of 14 genes at the time of diagnosis that predicts two year, transplant-free survival in children with biliary atresia – the most common diagnosis leading to liver transplants in children.

19 Jun 2019

Researchers identify first genetic defect linked to biliary atresia

A nationwide consortium of researchers has identified the first genetic defect linked to biliary atresia, a mysterious liver disease that is the leading cause for liver transplantation in children.

5 Mar 2019

Genetic defect linked to pediatric liver disease identified

Researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, in collaboration with several other institutions, have discovered a genetic defect linked to Biliary atresia, the most common pediatric cause of end-stage liver disease, and the leading indication for liver transplantation in children.

21 Feb 2019

Sickest children could benefit from split liver transplants

In a review of registry data for more than 5,300 liver transplants performed in children nationwide, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers identify the type of patient who is most likely to survive a split liver transplant--receiving only part of a donor's liver--with no additional long-term health risks, which could allow for an increase in the availability of organs.

18 Dec 2018

Researchers develop most sophisticated mini-livers to date

Scientists at Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine have developed the most sophisticated mini-livers to date.

13 Feb 2018

Study finds rise in pregnancy rates among women with chronic liver disease

A new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting – held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases – found that the overall number of pregnancies in women with chronic liver disease or following liver transplantation has risen over the past 30 years.

20 Oct 2017

Cambridge scientists develop new method for growing and transplanting artificial bile ducts

Cambridge scientists have developed a new method for growing and transplanting artificial bile ducts that could in future be used to help treat liver disease in children, reducing the need for liver transplantation.

3 Jul 2017

Singapore researchers discover new mechanism in the liver's response to blocked bile ducts

A multi-disciplinary team of researchers from the Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore at the National University of Singapore, the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology of A*STAR, and BioSyM, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology have described the mechanical principles adopted by liver cells as they remove excess bile during obstructive cholestasis.

30 Jun 2017