Liver News and Research

RSS

Harmful effects of energy drinks on children

A new study published in the journal Pediatrics on Monday examined the risks of consumption of high-caffeine energy drinks on children and young adults. The study notes that these drinks are linked to an array of serious events like heart palpitations, high blood pressure and even cardiac arrest and death. The risk rises if young adults consuming the drink suffer from chronic diseases or take other medications.

14 Feb 2011

BioTime to merge Glycosan with OrthoCyte

BioTime, Inc., a biotechnology company that develops and markets products in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to merge Utah-based Glycosan BioSystems, Inc. (Glycosan) with BioTime's wholly-owned subsidiary, OrthoCyte Corporation. The acquisition is expected to close by March 18, 2011.

14 Feb 2011

Some fat is essential for body function

It's common knowledge that too much cholesterol and other fats can lead to disease, and that a healthy diet involves watching how much fatty food we eat. However, our bodies need a certain amount of fat to function—and we can't make it from scratch.

14 Feb 2011

Two Uofl professors provide reference works in oncology field

Two University of Louisville School of Medicine professors recently authored reference works in the field of oncology, one focusing on the use of radiation treatment for childhood cancers and the other on hepatocellular carcinoma, or liver cancer.

14 Feb 2011

Researchers discover mechanism for normalizing blood sugar without insulin need

Diabetes can result from either a deficiency of insulin or decreased sensitivity to insulin. Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have discovered a mechanism for normalizing blood sugar that doesn't involve insulin and could offer a new therapeutic approach to both kinds of diabetes.

14 Feb 2011

A sweet tooth during pregnancy does more harm than good: Study

New research from scientists at the University of Auckland’s Liggins Institute has revealed that a pregnant mother can be putting her unborn child at risk by drinking as little as three glasses of juice a day or eating five apples. They have linked sugars such as fructose and impaired foetal development.

13 Feb 2011

Viral infection of Leishmania leads to increased pathogenicity

A parasite and a virus may be teaming up in a way that increases the parasite's ability to harm humans, scientists at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report this week in Science.

11 Feb 2011

Zogenix completes enrollment in ZX002 Phase 3 study in opioid-experienced adults with moderate to severe pain

Zogenix, Inc. announced today the completion of enrollment in its pivotal Phase 3 efficacy study (Study 801) of ZX002. ZX002 is a novel, oral, single-entity, controlled-release formulation of hydrocodone for the treatment of moderate to severe pain in patients requiring around-the-clock opioid therapy for an extended period of time.

10 Feb 2011

Idenix announces updates on HCV and HIV clinical development programs

Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of human viral diseases, today announced updates to three clinical development programs.

10 Feb 2011

Everolimus phase III study shows improved progression-free survival in patients with pNET

In an international Phase III randomized study, everolimus, an inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin, has shown to dramatically improve progression-free survival for patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, according to researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

9 Feb 2011

Five tips to lower cholesterol

An estimated 102 million Americans have cholesterol levels that are considered borderline high-risk. This staggering fact makes lowering cholesterol one of the most imperative things to do to promote overall heart health. Unfortunately, too few people understand the essential steps in reaching this goal.

9 Feb 2011

Gates Foundation awards USF $5.45M for malaria research

The University of South Florida received $5.45 million in grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The first grant is to create advanced devices that mimic the human liver to better study the life cycle of the malaria parasite - particularly the elusive liver stage where the disease may be most vulnerable to attack.

9 Feb 2011

Aushon BioSystems enters diagnostic development collaboration with Peking University Cancer Hospital

Aushon BioSystems, Inc., a leading provider of multiplex immunoassay products and services announced that it has signed a letter of intent to enter into a diagnostic development collaboration with Peking University Cancer Hospital ("PUCH"), Beijing, China.

9 Feb 2011

LESSOnc technique promising new surgical option for certain liver cancers

Surgeons at UC San Diego Health System have identified a new application for "scarless" surgery tools that are normally used for natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES).

9 Feb 2011

Gentium completes Defibrotide clinical studies, plans to file for regulatory approval

Gentium S.p.A. today announced that ongoing preclinical and clinical studies on Defibrotide have been completed and confirmed its plan to file for regulatory approval of Defibrotide with the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency by the end of the second quarter of 2011.

9 Feb 2011

How cocoa in chocolate reduces risk of heart disease

In time for the chocolate-giving and chocolate-noshing fest on Valentine's Day, scientists are reporting discovery of how this treat boosts the body's production of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) - the "good" form of cholesterol that protects against heart disease.

8 Feb 2011

Study on non-surgical approach for treatment of liver hydatidosis

Concerning treatment, until recently the only definitive treatment for hydatid disease had been surgery. Different surgical techniques and procedures have been carried out and even in some cases, a liver transplant has been required. Advances in drug therapy has been influenced by the introduction of albendazole and accelerated by addition of praziquantel, but this requires a long period of treatment i.e. up to a year or more, and is not effective for everyone.

8 Feb 2011

Patient need to share medication side effects with health care team: Retired family doctor

"I had a wonderful gentleman patient who had resistant blood pressure," recalls Vicki Koenig, M.D., a retired family doctor in Exmore, VA. "When he came for a blood pressure check on the latest new med and it was great, I was ecstatic. Then he said, 'But I notice my urine's a little dark.' His was one of the first cases of fatal liver complications from this medication."

5 Feb 2011

New understanding of how host and foreign structures are distinguished by front-line defence mechanism

This week, the highly-respected US Academy of Sciences journal (PNAS) published an article describing how the first line of defence of the human immune system distinguishes between microbes and the body's own structures.

5 Feb 2011

Viewpoints: Judge Vinson's decision and Sarah Palin, Voting Rights Act; States' Medicaid 'burden;' Global fund controversy

With news coverage focused on Federal District Judge Roger Vinson's decision Monday to declare the health care reform law unconstitutional, it might be easy to miss this week's news from another federal courthouse: opponents of the Voting Rights Act have renewed their efforts to have that law declared unconstitutional, too.

5 Feb 2011