Liver News and Research

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Hepatitis C infected donor kidneys thrown away despite urgent need

More than half of donor kidneys in the United State infected with hepatitis C are thrown away, despite the need among hepatitis C patients who may die waiting for an infection-free organ, Johns Hopkins research suggests.

2 Apr 2010

Exchange donor programs are viable alternatives for blood-group incompatible transplants

2 Apr 2010

2010 DDW conference to highlight breakthrough research on GI health

Thousands of physicians, researchers and academics from around the world will gather in New Orleans in early May for Digestive Disease Week- (DDW-), the premiere scientific conference in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

2 Apr 2010

Liver function tests misinterpreted in majority of children's hospitals

New research led by physician-scientists at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine shows that the test most commonly used to screen pediatric patients for chronic liver disease is often incorrectly interpreted in many children's hospitals throughout the United States.

2 Apr 2010

Living donor exchange poses new option for liver transplantation

Two major transplant centers in Hong Kong and South Korea released results from their paired donor exchange programs for living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). A single paired exchange, performed by the Hong Kong team under emergency circumstances, was a success. The Korean team reported 16 donor exchanges conducted over a 6-year period were successful. Full details of this novel approach to organ transplantation appear in the April issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

1 Apr 2010

Young mother dies of post-liver transplant complications in Singapore

Claire Murray, a 25 year old woman from Perth, suffered from a liver failure due to drug addition. She underwent a controversial second live liver transplant where a part of her aunt’s liver was given to her two weeks ago. She has reportedly succumbed to her condition and died just before 12:00pm (AWST) from complications in Singapore.

1 Apr 2010

Combating immune suppressive cells in liver may prevent the spread of cancer: Study

Scientists have uncovered what could be a very important clue in answering one of the most perplexing questions about cancer: why does it spread to the liver more than any other organ? In a new research report published in the April 2010 issue of Journal of Leukocyte Biology, scientists from New York University describe experimental results suggesting that the immune system may be the reason.

1 Apr 2010

T-cell cytolytic activity may be effective in clearing HBV infection

Co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) poses a treatment challenge. In Western Europe and the United States, chronic HBV infection has been found in 6%󈝺% of HIV-positive patients and this co-infection is well known to be associated with increased liver-related morbidity and mortality. However, factors associated with HBV surface antigen (HbsAg) loss in HIV and HBV co-infected patients remain unclear.

31 Mar 2010

Cryo-Cell International, MOSI partner to develop educational exhibit on stem cells and regenerative science

Cryo-Cell International Inc., a global leader of innovative stem cell solutions and stem cell cryopreservation services, today announced plans to partner with Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) in the development and launch of an interactive educational exhibit on stem cells and regenerative science. Cryo-Cell is one of the most established private family cord blood banks and is a pioneer in the stem cell industry.

31 Mar 2010

Hepatectomy effective for treatment of caudate lobe HCC

Caudate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poorer prognosis than HCC originating from other lobes, due to its proximity to the portal trunk and inferior vena cava, which facilitate intrahepatic and systemic spread early in the disease. Hepatic resection is considered, in principle, to be the first choice treatment. In order to improve surgical outcome, it is necessary to evaluate the potential risk factors affecting long-term survival and to establish guidelines for the appropriate use of hepatectomy for caudate lobectomy.

31 Mar 2010

Researcher explores the use of Chinese wolfberries to improve vision deficiencies

A Kansas State University researcher is exploring the use of Chinese wolfberries to improve vision deficiencies that are common for type-2 diabetics.

31 Mar 2010

Nymox Pharmaceutical's NX-1207 human clinical trials for HCC demonstrate favorable safety data

Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation outlined today the Company's development program for the Company's lead drug candidate, NX-1207, currently in Phase 3 trials in the U.S. for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The drug has been successful in a series of blinded controlled multi-center U.S. clinical trials where it has been found to produce improvements that are about double that reported for currently approved BPH drugs.

31 Mar 2010

Ikaria Holdings acquires NDA and IND application for LUCASSIN drug

Ikaria Holdings, Inc. announced today that it has acquired the New Drug Application (NDA) and the Investigational New Drug (IND) application to LUCASSIN® (terlipressin for injection) from Orphan Therapeutics, assuming all future development and ownership of the drug in North America and Australia.

31 Mar 2010

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals submits Acetadote sNDA for non-acetaminophen acute liver failure

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. has submitted a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the use of Acetadote® (acetylcysteine) Injection in patients with non-acetaminophen acute liver failure. Acetadote was launched by Cumberland in 2004 as the first U.S.-approved injectable drug to treat acetaminophen overdose.

30 Mar 2010

Potential new target for treating HCV infection

A team of scientists including University of Utah researchers has discovered that binding of a potent inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus to the genetic material of the virus causes a major conformational change that may adversely affect the ability of the virus to replicate.

30 Mar 2010

High fructose corn syrup linked to skyrocketing rates of obesity

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rates of obesity in the United States have skyrocketed since the introduction of high fructose corn syrup in 1970. In that time, obesity rates have gone from 15 percent of the U.S. population to roughly one-third.

29 Mar 2010

4 kg liver tumor removed from 60 year old Nigerian

A team of doctors led by Dr Ramcharan Thiagarajan, Consultant Surgical Gastroenterology & Hepato Pancreatic Biliary Surgery, Fortis Hospitals, Bangalore (formerly Wockhardt Hospitals) recently performed a high risk surgery on a 60 year old Nigerian to remove a perilous tumor weighing 4 kilos surrounding his liver.

29 Mar 2010

Diagnostic test for alcohol consumption: Measuring protein changes in blood

Measuring a set of protein changes in the blood linked to alcohol use may potentially lead to a more accurate diagnostic test than those currently available, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

29 Mar 2010

New approach may circumvent lost response in insulin due to obesity

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have identified a new strategy for treating type 2 diabetes, identifying a cellular pathway that fails when people become obese. By activating this pathway artificially, they were able to normalize blood glucose levels in severely obese and diabetic mice. Their findings will be published online by Nature Medicine on March 28.

29 Mar 2010

Norovirus outbreak associated with oysters: FDA and Mississippi, Louisiana public health agencies issue warning

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working with state health officials from Mississippi and Louisiana to notify consumers, food service operators and retailers nationwide about an outbreak of norovirus associated with oysters recently harvested from an area near Port Sulphur, La. known as Area 7. The oysters were sold or distributed nationwide.

27 Mar 2010