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Human liver manages to stay alive outside the body for a week

Scientists from University Hospital Zurich, ETH Zurich, Wyss Zurich and the University of Zurich have managed to keep human livers alive for a week outside the body using machines. If successful on large scale trials, this could be a breakthrough for organ transplants and donor organs could be stored outside the body for longer, speculate researchers.

13 Jan 2020

Loss of stress hormone is a hallmark of pancreatitis, shows study

In work that could have clinical implications, UT Southwestern researchers find that humans and mice with pancreatitis are deficient in a stress hormone called FGF21.

9 Jan 2020

Bile acids could also play a role in immunity and inflammation

Could bile acids--the fat-dissolving juices churned out by the liver and gallbladder--also play a role in immunity and inflammation?

3 Jan 2020

Bile acids help norovirus to infect cells of the small intestine

A new study led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that human noroviruses, the leading viral cause of foodborne illness and acute diarrhea around the world, infect cells of the small intestine by piggybacking on a normal cellular process called endocytosis that cells use to acquire materials from their environment.

31 Dec 2019

Brazilian researchers create hepatic organoids by 3D bioprinting

Using human blood cells, Brazilian researchers have succeeded in obtaining hepatic organoids ("mini-livers") that perform all of the liver's typical functions, such as producing vital proteins, storing vitamins, and secreting bile, among many others.

17 Dec 2019

Clinical trial demonstrates safety and effectiveness of oral drug to treat NASH

Patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a chronic liver disease and a leading cause for liver transplantation in the U.S., currently lack an approved drug therapy, but this may soon change.

6 Dec 2019

Early adherence step in intestinal transit of Shigella discovered

The bacterial pathogen Shigella, often spread through contaminated food or water, is a leading cause of mortality in both children and older adults in the developing world.

4 Dec 2019

Researchers create 3D liver model for improved diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is becoming the most common chronic liver disorder in developed countries. Histological analysis of liver tissue is the only widely accepted test for diagnosing and distinguishing different stages of the disease. However, this technique provides only two-dimensional images of the liver tissue in low resolution and overlooks potentially important 3D structural changes.

4 Dec 2019

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

Research shows how gut microbes affect stomach flu

A new study shows that gut microbes can modulate the severity of norovirus infection (the stomach flu, or the winter vomiting bug), based on the gut location first affected. Published in the journal Nature Microbiology on November 25, 2019, the study indicates new possibilities to treat norovirus infection.

26 Nov 2019

Hops compounds may combat metabolic syndrome by changing the gut microbiome

Compounds from hops may combat metabolic syndrome by changing the gut microbiome and altering the metabolism of acids produced in the liver, new research at Oregon State University suggests.

26 Nov 2019

Gut microbes can tamp down or boost the severity of norovirus infection

The highly contagious norovirus causes diarrhea and vomiting and is notorious for spreading rapidly through densely populated spaces, such as cruise ships, nursing homes, schools and day care centers. Each year, it is responsible for some 200,000 deaths, mostly in the developing world.

25 Nov 2019

One surgery to tackle two life threatening diseases

Juan Cueto did not feel sick, but he was losing weight rapidly and was devastated with the knowledge that he had two life threatening diseases, cancer and a liver disease.

20 Nov 2019

New drug combo may improve pancreatic cancer therapy

A new study by scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have discovered a combination of two cancer-fighting drugs that successfully worked on pancreatic tumor in mice, shrinking them significantly, and paving the way for a speedy clinical trial designed to test their efficacy in humans.

18 Nov 2019

Targeting the formation of alpha-synuclein aggregates may slow Parkinson's progression

Aggregates of the protein alpha-synuclein arising in the gut may play a key role in the development of Parkinson's disease.

13 Nov 2019

Impaired liver function during pregnancy can lead to impaired metabolism and weight gain

Impaired liver function during pregnancy may alter gut bacteria composition and increase the risk of obesity in children, according to results presented at The Society for Endocrinology Annual Conference.

11 Nov 2019

Findings on gut microbiome's interactions could contribute to new therapies for GI diseases

A study from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences offers new insight on how the gut bacteria of dogs interact with a healthy vs. unhealthy GI tract, which could contribute to the development of new therapies for GI diseases in both dogs and humans.

6 Nov 2019

Common things you need to know about pancreatitis

The pancreas is an important part of the digestive system that converts the food we eat into fuel for the body's cells. Responsible for two main functions, the pancreas helps digestion and regulates blood sugar. However, the pancreas can become inflamed, which causes pancreatitis to occur.

31 Oct 2019

Study shows why fatty liver disease contributes to increase in liver cancer

Fatty liver disease is contributing to an increase in liver cancer and basic scientists at The University of Texas Health Science at Houston have new insight as to why.

16 Oct 2019

Study represents a major step in seeking alternative cancer treatments for non-responders

Research led by VHIO's Alena Gros signposts a new, less invasive approach to identify killer T lymphocytes in patients with gastrointestinal tumors with low mutational burden who are refractory to approved immune-based treatments.

16 Oct 2019