Liver News and Research

RSS

Delcath Systems sponsors "Regional Therapeutic Options for Metastatic Melanoma" symposium

Delcath Systems, Inc., a medical technology company testing its proprietary treatment method for primary and metastatic cancers to the liver, recently sponsored a Satellite Symposium at the World Meeting of Melanoma/Skin Cancer Centers in Berlin, Germany. The session, titled "Regional Therapeutic Options for Metastatic Melanoma," was held on Friday, November 20 and featured updates and observations on a variety of current therapies by clinical leaders in the field.

24 Nov 2009

Americans with hepatitis C are at increased risk of developing liver cancer, says NVHR

New peer-reviewed data finding that fewer than one-fifth of the nearly 4 million Americans infected with chronic hepatitis C virus have received anti-viral therapy in recent years should be a wake-up call that Congress needs to move urgently on bipartisan legislation to support new state-based detection, research, and surveillance efforts, the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) said today.

24 Nov 2009

Medical center leaders celebrate BRTI's 25th anniversary

Considered a highly risky and controversial medical procedure only 25 years ago, solid organ transplantation is now a life-saving mainstream operation thanks to the extraordinary men and women who gathered at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas on Nov. 11.

24 Nov 2009

Treatment rates for hepatitis C virus declining, say researchers

Researchers from the University of Michigan determined that only 663,000 of the approximately 3.9 million Americans with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection received antiviral therapy between 2002 and 2007.

24 Nov 2009

USC University Hospital receives Heart Transplant Excellence Award

The University of Southern California (USC) University Hospital received a Heart Transplant Excellence Award from the independent healthcare ratings organization Health Grades, ranking among the top one percent of hospitals in the U.S. that perform heart transplants.

24 Nov 2009

Study: Impaired oxidation in liver associated with progression to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

A recent metobolomics study by researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond found that impaired peroxisomal oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) is associated with the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

24 Nov 2009

Antiviral therapy for hepatitis C appears to be declining in the U.S.; lack of diagnosis is primary barrier to treatment

23 Nov 2009

Morbid obesity among people with diabetes is increasing at a very alarming rate, says kidney expert

A Loyola University Health System study has found that one out of five Type 2 diabetics is morbidly obese -- approximately 100 pounds or more overweight.

23 Nov 2009

New technology to measure tissue elasticity introduced by GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare today introduced MR-Touch, a visual palpation technology that uses low frequency sound waves in combination with MRI to measure tissue elasticity. For centuries, clinicians have evaluated tissue stiffness—the physical property of tissue most affected by disease—through palpation. Based on technology invented at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) and licensed to GE Healthcare,

23 Nov 2009

Gene deletion can increase common complication of bone marrow transplants

A commonly inherited gene deletion can increase the likelihood of immune complications following bone marrow transplantation, an international team of researchers reports in the November 22 advance online issue of Nature Genetics.

23 Nov 2009

Experiments explain factors behind common malarial symptoms

When people have malaria, they are infected with Plasmodium parasites, which enter the body from the saliva of a mosquito, infect cells in the liver, and then spread to red blood cells. Inside the blood cells, the parasites replicate and also begin to expose adhesive proteins on the cell surface that change the physical nature of the cells in the bloodstream.

23 Nov 2009

Cancer promoting gene identified

Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine researchers have identified a gene that may play a pivotal role in two processes that are essential for tumor development, growth and progression to metastasis. Scientists hope the finding could lead to an effective therapy to target and inhibit the expression of this gene resulting in inhibition of cancer growth.

21 Nov 2009

Program on patients undergoing individualized treatment for metastatic breast cancer: NCCN

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a not-for-profit alliance of 21 of the world's leading cancer centers, has collaborated with the Discovery Health Channel to produce a program profiling three patients with metastatic breast cancer and their healthcare team as they customize each patient's treatment regimen to their individual tumor type and health status.

21 Nov 2009

USGS researchers examine PAHs and PCBs sources in urban environment

Toxic dust: Toxins in coal-tar-based sealcoats in parking lots may be the culprit in contaminated house dust, according to a USGS study. PAHs - or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - are large molecules found in oil, coal and tar deposits, and can have toxic effects.

21 Nov 2009

New hope for patients with liver cancer

In patients with unresectable (unable to be removed by surgery) liver cancer, an interventional radiology procedure called triple-drug transcatheter arterial chemoemobolization (TACE) followed by a liver transplant may significantly increase a patient's chance of long-term survival, according to a study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

21 Nov 2009

Study reveals effectiveness of radiation therapy in achieving local control and palliation in patients with PNTs

Radiation therapy is effective in achieving local control and palliation in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNTs), despite such tumors being commonly considered resistant to radiation therapy, according to a largest of its kind study in the November 15 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

20 Nov 2009

Embryonic stem cells raise hope of cellular replacement therapy for liver failure

Embryonic stem (ES) cells, known for their capacity to proliferate indefinitely and differentiate into almost all types of cells including hepatocytes, have raised the hope of cellular replacement therapy for liver failure. There have been several protocols available for hepatic fate specification from ES cells, however, most of the protocols currently used result in low yield or purity of functional hepatocytes. Valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, has been demonstrated to facilitate the hepatic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. However, little is know about whether VPA could induce the hepatic differentiation of ES cells.

19 Nov 2009

HealthGrades identifies top-rated hospital organ-transplantation centers

The top-rated hospitals for organ transplantation are being identified for the first time today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. Based on patient outcomes, quality data for each of the 266 hospitals that perform transplants have been made public at www.healthgrades.com to help patients in need of kidney, lung, heart and liver transplants research and choose a transplant center.

19 Nov 2009

Recent progress of Delcath Systems in drug delivery platform reported

Delcath Systems, Inc., a medical technology company developing the Delcath Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion (PHP(TM)) System, a minimally invasive drug delivery platform for the regional treatment of cancer metastatic to the liver, today reported on the Company's recent progress.

19 Nov 2009

Exaggerated responses of immune system explain elders’ susceptibility to viral infections

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that exaggerated responses of the immune system explain why the elderly succumb to viral infections more readily than younger people. Published in the November 19 Cell Host & Microbe, the study bucks the general belief that declining immune responses are to blame for susceptibility to viral infections.

19 Nov 2009

Liver News and Research

Delcath Systems sponsors "Regional Therapeutic Options for Metastatic Melanoma" symposium

Americans with hepatitis C are at increased risk of developing liver cancer, says NVHR

Medical center leaders celebrate BRTI's 25th anniversary

Treatment rates for hepatitis C virus declining, say researchers

USC University Hospital receives Heart Transplant Excellence Award

Study: Impaired oxidation in liver associated with progression to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Antiviral therapy for hepatitis C appears to be declining in the U.S.; lack of diagnosis is primary barrier to treatment

Morbid obesity among people with diabetes is increasing at a very alarming rate, says kidney expert

New technology to measure tissue elasticity introduced by GE Healthcare

Gene deletion can increase common complication of bone marrow transplants

Experiments explain factors behind common malarial symptoms

Cancer promoting gene identified

Program on patients undergoing individualized treatment for metastatic breast cancer: NCCN

USGS researchers examine PAHs and PCBs sources in urban environment

New hope for patients with liver cancer

Study reveals effectiveness of radiation therapy in achieving local control and palliation in patients with PNTs

Embryonic stem cells raise hope of cellular replacement therapy for liver failure

HealthGrades identifies top-rated hospital organ-transplantation centers

Recent progress of Delcath Systems in drug delivery platform reported

Exaggerated responses of immune system explain elders’ susceptibility to viral infections

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

Latest News