Liver Transplantation News and Research

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HCV-positive organs can be safely used for transplantation, study shows

Patients who received a transplanted liver infected with hepatitis C and were later treated for the infection performed as well in recovery as transplant patients who received an organ free of infection, according to study from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and UC Health recently published in the journal Liver Transplantation.

22 Jun 2020

C-Path's Transplant Therapeutics Consortium receives positive FDA response for its Letter of Intent

Critical Path Institute announced today that its Transplant Therapeutics Consortium has received a positive response to its Letter of Intent from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration detailing the decision to accept the Composite Biomarker Panel (iBox Scoring System) into the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) Biomarker Qualification Program.

17 Jun 2020

Study investigates effectiveness of liver perfusion to improve the function of donor livers

A major study investigating the effectiveness of liver perfusion as a technique to improve the function of donor livers that would have otherwise been rejected has shown that up to 7 in every 10 could be used after just 4-6 hours of the assessment.

17 Jun 2020

Study shows women are less susceptible to cirrhosis-related deaths

Prior studies have suggested women might have higher mortality of cirrhosis of the liver than men. Women are also less likely to receive liver transplantation.

5 Jun 2020

Cases of alcohol-related liver disease will rise dramatically in coming years, shows study

Alcohol-related liver disease is currently the most common reason for liver transplantation in the United States. In recent years, high-risk drinking of alcohol--defined as exceeding daily drinking limits (more than 4 or 5 standard drinks for women and men, respectively) at least weekly for a whole year--has increased in nearly all sociodemographic groups, especially in women.

4 Jun 2020

Research shows how the immune system reacts to hepatitis C viruses

If a virus penetrates a cell, the immune system reacts immediately and produces the signaling protein interferon.

24 Apr 2020

Landmark 30-year study describes clinical course of patients with Crigler-Najjar syndrome

A new study summarizes more than 30 years of clinical experience and describes the clinical course of 28 individuals homozygous for damaging mutations in the UGT1A1 gene who were born between 1984 and 2015 with Crigler-Najjar syndrome.

17 Apr 2020

Patients with chronic liver disease need specific care during COVID-19

Currently, there are limited data on the impact of pre-existing liver disease and the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with many open questions.

2 Apr 2020

Pancreatitis drug Nafamostat shows promise for coronavirus

With the increasing number of infections across the globe, scientists have resorted to studying existing drugs in the hope of discovering a cure for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). A team of researchers has found that an existing drug, Nafamostat or Fusan, a drug used to treat acute pancreatitis, may effectively block the process used by the novel coronavirus to spread and cause illness.

1 Apr 2020

Study: Death rates after liver transplantation drop by more than 50% in the UK

In the past two decades, death rates after liver transplantation have dropped by more than half in the UK, according to a recent analysis of almost 10,000 liver transplant recipients published in BJS (British Journal of Surgery).

4 Mar 2020

New website makes it easier for patients to choose transplant center

A new website developed by researchers at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute and the University of Minnesota is making it easier for organ transplant candidates to choose which transplant center is right for them.

25 Feb 2020

Woman's bladder produces alcohol – a rare medical condition

A 61-year-old woman was set for a liver transplant but was denied due to a high level of alcohol in her system. Her urine contained alcohol, which is unlikely unless someone has consumed large amounts of it.

25 Feb 2020

New set of recommendations for managing liver failure in the ICU

For critical care specialists, hepatic failure poses complex challenges unlike those of other critical illnesses.

16 Feb 2020

30-year study of MSUD highlights critical need for more effective disease-modifying therapies

A new study analyzes 30 years of patient data and details the clinical course of 184 individuals with genetically diverse forms of Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD), which is among the most volatile and dangerous inherited metabolic disorders.

24 Jan 2020

Researchers identify liver fibrosis ‘off switch’ in mice

Chronic alcohol abuse and hepatitis can injure the liver, often leading to a buildup of collagen and scar tissue.

23 Jan 2020

Liver mesenchymal stromal cells could be a better option for many therapeutic applications

Mesenchymal stromal cells from fat tissue and bone marrow are widely used in therapeutic trials for their anti-inflammatory qualities, but new Mayo Clinic research finds that liver cells may be of greater value.

20 Jan 2020

UTHealth scientist receives NIH grants for liver injury research

Tiny solutions are being sought for big liver problems by a scientist at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

21 Dec 2019

Clinical trial demonstrates safety and effectiveness of oral drug to treat NASH

Patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a chronic liver disease and a leading cause for liver transplantation in the U.S., currently lack an approved drug therapy, but this may soon change.

6 Dec 2019

Recently discovered protein may play key role in obesity and metabolic disease

With unexpected findings about a protein that's highly expressed in fat tissue, scientists at Scripps Research have opened the door to critical new understandings about obesity and metabolism.

21 Nov 2019

Study shows potential of phage therapy to treat alcoholic liver disease

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that specifically destroy bacteria. In the early 20th century, researchers experimented with phages as a potential method for treating bacterial infections.

13 Nov 2019