Gastroenterology News and Research

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Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine where the digestive system and its disorders are studied.

A rigorous method for liver biopsy

Liver biopsy is still considered the gold standard for grading, staging and "stad-ging" the chronic liver disease.

1 Jan 2009

Researchers look at anti-tumor mechanisms of Scutellaria barbata

Medicinal plants have been used as traditional remedies for hundreds of years.

1 Jan 2009

What are protective effects of anti-ricin A-chain aptamer?

Ricin, a lectin from the castor bean plant Ricinus communis is considered one of the most potent plant toxins.

30 Dec 2008

Salix Pharmaceuticals receives FDA response for Balsalazide tablet

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. has announced that the Company has received a complete response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its New Drug Application (NDA) for balsalazide tablet studied as a treatment of mild-to-moderate active ulcerative colitis in patients 18 years and older.

30 Dec 2008

May hepatic granulomas be part of the histological spectrum of chronic hepatitis C?

While older large series of patients with hepatic granulomas have found sarcoidosis and tuberculosis to be the most common causes of hepatic granulomas, recent works have noted some patients with chronic hepatic C and hepatic granulomas and no other obvious associations.

30 Dec 2008

How to enhance non-thermal effects of ultrasound

In recent years HIFU has been widely used for the treatment of solid tumors, such as liver tumor, bone tumor, and breast cancer.

30 Dec 2008

Chronic gastrointestinal symptoms in Korean population

Chronic gastrointestinal symptoms are highly prevalent in different geographic populations and cause various gastrointestinal symptoms that greatly inconvenience the lives of those affected.

30 Dec 2008

Acute gastric injury due to high-dose analgesics?

Analgesics, NSAIDs and acetaminophen, are commonly used for the relief of fever, headaches, and other minor aches and pains.

30 Dec 2008

New screening test for chronic abdominal pain

Evaluation of chronic abdominal pain of luminal etiology is a challenging problem for the primary care physicians and gastroenterologists.

30 Dec 2008

Drinkers with the ADH1C gene at greater risk of colorectal cancer

Chronic drinking is a risk factor for colorectal cancer, possibly through the effects of acetaldehyde, which is created by the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzyme.

21 Dec 2008

Updated guidelines for irritable bowel syndrome

Although irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common disease diagnosed by gastroenterologists, it's also one of the most misunderstood.

18 Dec 2008

Newly discovered esophagus stem cells grow into transplantable tissue

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered stem cells in the esophagus of mice that were able to grow into tissue-like structures and when placed into immune-deficient mice were able to form parts of an esophagus lining.

15 Dec 2008

Etanercept found to be ineffective in treating alcoholic hepatitis

A new study from Mayo Clinic finds the use of the drug therapy etanercept ineffective in treating alcoholic hepatitis, an acute inflammation of the liver caused by excessive consumption of alcohol. The results of the study are published in the December issue of Gastroenterology.

1 Dec 2008

Bariatric surgery may resolve liver disease

Obesity is a growing epidemic in the U.S. with a significant increase in prevalence from 15 percent to 32.9 percent from 1980 to 2004. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging problem related to the obesity epidemic, becoming one of the most common causes of liver disease in the nation.

1 Dec 2008

Antibiotics causing most drug-induced liver injury

Antibiotics are the single largest class of agents that cause idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI), reports a new study in Gastroenterology, an official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.

1 Dec 2008

New model predicts risk of recurrence in early stage colon cancer patients

Researchers in the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy have developed a model for predicting risk of recurrence in early stage colon cancer patients, and have used the model to also predict sensitivity to chemotherapy and targeted therapy regimens.

24 Nov 2008

Children with constipation a significant health issue

According to new research conducted at Nationwide Children's Hospital, the burden of illness in children suffering from constipation, and the costs associated with this condition, are roughly of the same magnitude as those for asthma and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

24 Nov 2008

Innovative new surgeries extending and improving life for Crohn's disease sufferers

Thousands of Americans suffering from the chronic inflammatory bowel condition known as Crohn's disease are leading longer, healthier lives due to innovative new surgeries, according to experts at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

18 Nov 2008

Discovery of stem cells with potential to regenerate injured liver tissue

A novel protein marker has been found that identifies rare adult liver stem cells, whose ability to regenerate injured liver tissue has the potential for cell-replacement therapy.

12 Nov 2008