Liver Disease News and Research

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The liver is one of the largest solid organs of the body. It is located in the upper right part of the abdomen. Most of the organ lies under cover of the rib cage.

Database of drug-induced liver injury now available from NIH

A free source of evidence-based information for health care professionals and for researchers studying liver injury associated with prescription and over-the-counter drugs, herbals, and dietary supplements is now available from the National Institutes of Health. Researchers and health care professionals can use the LiverTox database to identify basic and clinical research questions to be answered and to chart optimal ways to diagnose and control drug-induced liver injury.

15 Oct 2012

Scientists look to use natural killer cells to target common form of liver cancer

Scientists at the University of Southampton are to investigate the best way to use natural killer cells (NK) to target the most common form of liver cancer. NK cells are able to directly kill cancer in the body and stimulate other cells in the immune system to help attack cancer.

14 Oct 2012

New York Stem Cell Foundation names 6 scientists as 2012 NYSCF - Robertson Investigators

The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) named six of the most promising scientists as its 2012 NYSCF - Robertson Investigators.

11 Oct 2012

Researchers discover mechanism by which magnesium reduces cytokine production

Magnesium sulfate is given to many pregnant women to treat preterm labor and preeclampsia and was recently shown to prevent cerebral palsy; however little is known about how it works. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine recently discovered the mechanism by which magnesium reduces the production of cytokines.

10 Oct 2012

SLU professor to investigate natural history and progression of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency

Jeffrey Teckman, M.D., professor of pediatrics and biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University, has received a $1.4 million grant from the Alpha-1 Foundation to investigate the natural history and progression of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, an inherited disease that can cause liver damage in children as well as adults.

4 Oct 2012

Thymus tissue, iPSCS and liver cells can thrive in lymph nodes

Lymph nodes can provide a suitable home for a variety of cells and tissues from other organs, suggesting that a cell-based alternative to whole organ transplantation might one day be feasible, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and its McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

28 Sep 2012

Incarcerated patients with chronic HCV likely to achieve sustained viral response

Incarcerated patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are just as likely to respond to treatment for the disease as patients in the community, according to findings published in the October issue of Hepatology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

28 Sep 2012

Dietary habits associated with NAFLD in obese children

Research has identified a number of variables associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in obese children.

27 Sep 2012

Scientists discover 12 genetic markers for ED in prostate cancer patients after radiotherapy

In the first study of its kind, a research team led by Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University discovered 12 genetic markers associated with the development of erectile dysfunction (ED) in prostate cancer patients who were treated with radiation.

27 Sep 2012

Latest research on stem cells discussed at Einstein symposium

The promise of stem cells seems limitless. If they can be coaxed into rebuilding organs, repairing damaged spinal cords and restoring ravaged immune systems, these malleable cells would revolutionize medical treatment. But stem cell research is still in its infancy, as scientists seek to better understand the role of these cells in normal human development and disease.

24 Sep 2012

Alcohol refrain for bone density gain

Abstinence from alcohol for 2 months could correct the imbalance between bone formation and resorption in alcoholic men, a study shows.

21 Sep 2012

MiR-34a plays a key role in obesity

Scientists have identified a key molecular player in a chain of events in the body that can lead to fatty liver disease, Type II diabetes and other metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity. By blocking this molecule, the researchers were able to reverse some of the pathology it caused in obese mice.

21 Sep 2012

Water mineral content link to alcoholic liver disease

Low magnesium content in water supplies may contribute to the development of alcoholic liver disease, say the authors of a UK study.

17 Sep 2012

Healthcare costs could total more than household assets for elderly at end of life

For more than 25% of elderly US citizens, healthcare costs incurred during the last 5 years of life will amount to more than their total household assets, show data reported in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

17 Sep 2012

Sanford-Burnham scientist to receive NIH’s New Innovator Award

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of the Director today announced that Duc Dong, Ph.D., assistant professor at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham), will receive a New Innovator Award.

15 Sep 2012

UMDNJ, Proteonomix to conduct UMK-121 Phase 1 trial in end-stage liver disease

Proteonomix, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics based upon the use of human cells and their derivatives, today announced it has entered into an agreement with Piscataway, N.J.-based University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) to conducted a Phase 1 clinical trial with its proprietary, patent-pending mobilization technology UMK-121 in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD).

15 Sep 2012

Hyperuricemia associated with more severe hepatic ATP depletion in response to fructose intake

Obese patients with type 2 diabetes who consume higher amounts of fructose display reduced levels of liver adenosine triphosphate (ATP)—a compound involved in the energy transfer between cells.

14 Sep 2012

Two National University of Singapore scientists win Lasker Awards for medical research

Two scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) - Professor Michael Sheetz, Director of the Mechanobiology Institute of Singapore; and Professor Roy Calne, Visiting Professor with the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine's Department of Surgery - have been conferred the prestigious Lasker Awards for making great advances in medical research.

11 Sep 2012

Albert Einstein College of Medicine to educate faculty members and students on social media

Social media is increasingly popular but engaging in its proper use can prove confusing and challenging - especially in the medical and healthcare arenas. Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has been awarded a two-year grant to educate faculty members and medical students on using social media appropriately and effectively.