Liver News and Research

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Inhaling nitric oxide helps transplant success

Administering inhaled nitric oxide (NO) during surgery helps protect liver transplant patients from organ failure, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

30 Aug 2007

FDA approves Somatuline Depot to treat acromegaly

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Somatuline Depot (lanreotide acetate injection) for the treatment of acromegaly, a rare and potentially life threatening disease in adults caused by abnormal secretion of growth hormone (GH), commonly from a benign tumor located in the pituitary gland located in the brain.

30 Aug 2007

Research looks at hepatitis C recovery

More than 3% of world population is infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The outcome of HCV infections is either self recovery or chronic hepatitis, and many of the chronic infections will develop into liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.

30 Aug 2007

Third factor identified in obesity-induced Type 2 diabetes

In cases of Type 2 diabetes, the body's cells fail to appropriately regulate blood glucose levels.

30 Aug 2007

Discovery of key link that causes malarial infection in both humans and mosquitoes

As summer temperatures cool in the United States, fewer mosquitoes whir around our tiki torches.

30 Aug 2007

New generation of implanted heart-assisting pumps help patients survive, regain function til transplant

A new generation of implanted heart-assisting pump does very well at helping severely ill heart-failure patients survive, and thrive, until they receive a heart transplant, a new study shows.

30 Aug 2007

Case report on a shining significance in living donor transplantation

Touching stories of living donor transplantation are continuously happening in hospitals.

30 Aug 2007

Biologic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and the risk of cancer

The relationship between rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease marked by chronic inflammation of the joints and tissue surrounding vital organs, and the incidence of cancer is complicated.

30 Aug 2007

Circulating fats kill transplanted pancreas cells

Dietary restrictions or other strategies that limit fat formation might make pancreatic cell transplants more effective, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

29 Aug 2007

HSP 90 inhibitors may help ICU patients beat infections

HSP 90 inhibitors, which are finding favor in fighting cancer, may also help battle overwhelming infection in intensive care patients, researchers say.

28 Aug 2007

Geron demonstrates hESC-derived cardiomyocytes improve heart function after myocardial infarction

Geron Corporation has reported its scientists and collaborators have demonstrated that human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived cardiomyocytes improve heart function when transplanted after myocardial infarction.

28 Aug 2007

Brain function is even more impaired in cirrhotic than non-cirrhotic alcoholics

Sustained exposure to alcohol can cause scarring and dysfunction of the liver, referred to as cirrhosis.

28 Aug 2007

Baby survives transplant of 5 new organs

A baby boy is said to be doing well following surgery where he received five organ transplants.

28 Aug 2007

Dietary restrictions that limit fat formation might make pancreatic cell transplants more effective

Dietary restrictions or other strategies that limit fat formation might make pancreatic cell transplants more effective, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

28 Aug 2007

Scientists reveal the actions of a key player in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the Western world. The tumor starts off as a polyp but then turns into an invasive and violent cancer, which often spreads to the liver.

28 Aug 2007

Oglufanide disodium in new hepatitis C trial

Physicians at Southern Health have started a phase IIa clinical trial designed to test the efficacy of a new strategy for defeating hepatitis C viral infection, one of the toughest infectious diseases in the modern world.

26 Aug 2007

Inhaling nitric oxide helps heal liver transplant recipients

A new report from a team of researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham indicates that one of the main complications of liver transplantation can be treated very simply by allowing the transplant recipients to inhale nitric oxide (NO) during the operation in which they received their new liver.

24 Aug 2007

Fat mice gain protection against diabetes

The world's fattest mice can overeat without developing insulin resistance or diabetes thanks to a glut of a key hormone, a dichotomy that helps explain why not all obese people are diabetic, a UT Southwestern Medical Center researcher has found.

24 Aug 2007

New technology for keeping liver cells alive inside bioartificial liver-assist devices

Such devices enable people who are suffering from acute liver failure to survive while their own liver cells regenerate, or until they receive a liver transplant. The person's blood or plasma circulates through the device. Inside, living cells -- usually pig or human liver cells -- perform normal liver functions.

24 Aug 2007

Pharmion and MethylGene announce orphan drug designation for treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma

Pharmion Corporation, along with its collaborator MethylGene Inc., today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated the Companies' histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, MGCD0103, as an Orphan Drug for the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma in the United States.

21 Aug 2007