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Study evaluates therapeutic effects of FXR and TGR5 agonist in PSC

Results of a study presented today at the International Liver Congress 2010 demonstrate that a dual FXR and TGR5 agonist decreases liver damage and modulates hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in a mouse model of primary sclerosing chlolangitis. In contrast, selective FXR or TGR5 agonists have no beneficial effect.

19 Apr 2010

Treatment with high dose UDCA no more effective for NASH: German study

Results of a German study presented today at the International Liver CongressTM 2010, the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Liver in Vienna, Austria, have shown that overall, treatment with high dose (23-28mg/kg/d) ursodeoxycholic acid is no more effective than placebo in the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, the most advanced form of non-alcoholic liver disease associated with cirrhosis of the liver.

17 Apr 2010

Study: Higher risk of NHL and Cholangiocarcinoma associated with HBV infection

New data presented today at the International Liver CongressTM 2010 found a link between chronic hepatitis B virus and progression to cancers other than hepatocellular carcinoma.

16 Apr 2010

International study evaluates new class of drugs for treating primary biliary cirrhosis

Results of a study presented today at the at the International Liver CongressTM 2010 reveals the effects of a new drug for the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis, and shows further evaluation is necessary.

16 Apr 2010

Study investigates cerebral cortical response to biliary stimulation

The cortical response to esophageal, stomach or rectal stimulation has been studied using several different modalities including evoked potentials, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and positron emission tomography. However, there is no information concerning the cerebral cortical response to sensory signals that originate in the biliary tract in humans.

13 Apr 2010

Torax Medical's LINX Anti-Reflux treatment receives CE Mark approval

Torax Medical Inc., a medical device company focused on the minimally invasive treatment of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), has received CE Mark for its LINX® Anti-Reflux treatment. The company has started commercial launch of the LINX device at select centers in Europe.

8 Apr 2010

Lumenis' 2009 revenues down 12% to $226.1M

Lumenis Ltd., a global leader in developing, manufacturing and distributing a broad range of high-end medical lasers and sophisticated energy delivery equipment for surgical, ophthalmic and aesthetic applications, today announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2009 and that it has filed its 2009 annual report on Form 20-F with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

From Lumenis Inc. 7 Apr 2010

Bile secretions in small intestine send signals to disease-causing gut bacteria

Bile secretions in the small intestine send signals to disease-causing gut bacteria allowing them to change their behavior to maximize their chances of surviving, Montana State University research associate Steve Hamner told the Society for General Microbiology during its spring meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1 Apr 2010

NIH grant for study on impact of gastric bypass surgery on Type II diabetes patients

Gastric bypass surgery, thought of by many as the last hope of morbidly obese people for losing weight, has many other benefits researchers are only beginning to understand.

25 Mar 2010

Bariatric surgery may delay onset of type 2 diabetes, says study

A team of researchers, led by a UC Davis veterinary endocrinologist, has shown for the first time that a surgical procedure in rats that is similar to bariatric surgery in humans can delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

25 Mar 2010

Tips for reducing LDL cholesterol

Cardiovascular disease is the No.1 killer in North America. And high cholesterol is one of the primary risk factors of coronary heart disease and stroke. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, almost 40% of Canadian adults are classified as having high blood cholesterol levels.

16 Mar 2010

Signaling mechanisms responsible for HGF-induced CCA invasiveness: More insight

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a bile duct cancer, is one of the major cancers in Northeast Thailand. This cancer is difficult to diagnose and has high metastatic and mortality rates. Overexpression of Met, a hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor, has frequently been found in CCA and is correlated with progression of this type of cancer.

5 Mar 2010

Short-term dose of losartan-M6PHSA reduces liver inflammation and fibrosis: Study

A recent study found that rats with advanced fibrosis that were administered a short-term dose of losartan-M6PHSA had reduced liver inflammation and fibrosis. Those animals treated with oral losartan alone did not experience a similar reduction in disease activity. Results of this study appear in the March issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

1 Mar 2010

Study shows ghrelin prevents acute liver damage, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation

Spanish researchers determined that rats treated with recombinant ghrelin displayed a reduction in liver fibrosis. Ghrelin, a stomach hormone, reduced the amount of fibrogenic cells by 25% in the treated rodents. Research further showed ghrelin prevented acute liver damage and reduced oxidative stress and inflammation in the animal models.

1 Mar 2010

Humans can harbor bacteria in gallstones, infect others with active typhoid fever

A new study suggests that the bacteria that cause typhoid fever collect in tiny but persistent communities on gallstones, making the infection particularly hard to fight in so-called "carriers" - people who have the disease but show no symptoms.

23 Feb 2010

Certain patients with IBD at increased risk of developing colorectal cancer: AGA's new guidelines

Certain patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease of the colon, have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to individuals without IBD. A number of factors contribute to the increase in risk, which necessitates an individualized and sensible approach to surveillance in patients, according to a new medical position statement and technical review published by the American Gastroenterological Association in its official journal, Gastroenterology.

17 Feb 2010

Researchers describe the structure of ToxT that controls virulent nature of Vibrio cholerae

In a new study, Dartmouth researchers describe the structure of a protein called ToxT that controls the virulent nature of Vibrio cholerae, the bacteria that causes cholera. Buried within ToxT, the researchers were surprised to find a fatty acid that appears to inhibit ToxT, which prevents the bacteria from causing cholera.

14 Feb 2010

Mayo Clinic Health Letter features comprehensive coverage of the liver

The liver, the largest internal organ, is the body's ultimate multitasker. While the liver is not glamorous or sentimental -- there are no love songs about a broken liver -- it simultaneously plays a key role in the body's metabolic, digestive and regulatory systems.

12 Feb 2010

Patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis can be operated within 48 hours of admission

Patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis usually stay in the hospital for several days, waiting for the symptoms to subside, before undergoing surgery to remedy the condition. A new study from researchers at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) indicates patients may no longer have to wait so long for surgery and could leave the hospital sooner.

5 Feb 2010

1st Annual Biliary Tract-Gallbladder Cancer Research Symposium to be held at ASCO in Alexandria

CanLiv: The Hepatobiliary Cancers Foundation in partnership with The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation will host the 1st Annual Biliary Tract-Gallbladder Cancer Research Symposium on Friday, May 7, 2010 at the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.

4 Feb 2010