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.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis: Therapy with synthetic bile acid acts directly on the immune system

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) is a rare, chronic inflammatory disease of the bile ducts and is difficult to treat. Studies conducted by the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at MedUni Wien under the guidance of Michael Trauner (Department of Internal Medicine III) were able to show positive effects from the administration of synthetically produced bile acids and bile acid receptor agonists.

28 Sep 2021

Survey: Over half of chronic liver disease patients had procedures cancelled or delayed due to COVID-19

The results of a new patient survey by the British Liver Trust reveal that over half of chronic liver disease patients say they’ve had procedures cancelled or delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

24 Sep 2021

Study finds long-term outcomes of weight loss surgery in children, adolescents with severe obesity

Results from a 10-year study of children and adolescents who underwent a common weight loss operation to treat severe obesity show they safely have long-lasting major weight loss and improvement of their obesity-related medical problems without stunting their growth in height. The study, involving the longest known follow-up of pediatric patients after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, is published online by the Journal of the American College of Surgeons ahead of print.

24 Sep 2021

Researchers provide structural insights into HCV receptor binding and entry

In a new paper published in Nature, scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, describe the structure of a key protein on the surface of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and how it interacts with its receptor found on some human cells.

21 Sep 2021

Increasing physical activity, fitness may be superior to weight loss for reducing health risks

The prevalence of obesity around the world has tripled over the past 40 years, and, along with that rise, dieting and attempts to lose weight also have soared. But according to a review article publishing September 20 in the journal iScience, when it comes to getting healthy and reducing mortality risk, increasing physical activity and improving fitness appear to be superior to weight loss. The authors say that employing a weight-neutral approach to the treatment of obesity-related health conditions also reduces the health risks associated with yo-yo dieting.

21 Sep 2021

Differences in DNA methylation could accurately predict progression of liver disease

Findings of a national study led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute, an affiliate of City of Hope, identify potential biomarkers that might eventually be used to diagnose progressive stages of liver disease.

20 Sep 2021

Owlstone Medical appoints Mark Capone to board of directors

Owlstone Medical, the global leader in Breath Biopsy® for applications in early disease detection and precision medicine, today announced the appointment of Mark Capone, former President and CEO of Myriad Genetics to its Board as an independent non-executive director.

From Owlstone Medical Ltd 17 Sep 2021

Grants to promote COVID-19 vaccination among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are three times more likely to die from COVID-19 than the general population. Their heightened risk is due to a variety of causes: pre-existing health conditions, such as respiratory problems or obesity; increased likelihood of living in group homes, taking shared transportation, and being exposed to people outside their households; and struggles with safety precautions like mask-wearing or social distancing.

16 Sep 2021

Albert Einstein College of Medicine receives $5 million NIH grant for IDD research

Albert Einstein College of Medicine has received a five-year, $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to support the Rose F. Kennedy Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, which has been at the forefront of research on normal and abnormal brain development for more than 50 years.

15 Sep 2021

Pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder is underutilized in Sweden, finds study

Only a minority of Swedes with alcohol use disorders are prescribed alcohol medication, a situation that has remained largely unchanged in the country since the mid-2000.

13 Sep 2021

New online tool to predict mortality risk for patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure

For patients with chronic liver disease, the onset of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) instantly alters the transplant question from 'if' to 'when'. 60 to 70% of patients with ACLF die within 3 months due to poor liver function and multiple organ failure.

13 Sep 2021

Owlstone Medical Closes $58 Million USD (c. £42 Million GBP) Oversubscribed Financing Round to Continue to Advance Breath Biopsy

Owlstone Medical today announced the close of its Series D financing round.

From Owlstone Medical Ltd 7 Sep 2021

Study reveals Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and immune response in clinically vulnerable individuals

The current study found that a strong S-antibody response occurs following complete vaccination with two different COVID-19 vaccines.

6 Sep 2021

Researchers explore the fate of dietary fructose in the body

In today's fast-paced world, the dependence on the widely available "fast" foods and beverages has risen. These foods are typically low in fiber and essential nutrients, and often consist of high amounts of added sugar. This shift in dietary trends, accompanied by a sedentary lifestyle, has been attributed to the rise in various metabolic disorders like diabetes, fatty liver disease, and heart disease.

31 Aug 2021

ACTG announces positive data for monoclonal antibody combination therapy from the ACTIV-2 study

The AIDS Clinical Trials Group, the largest global HIV research network, which has expanded its focus to include evaluating outpatient treatment for COVID-19, today announced positive data for the monoclonal antibody combination therapy BRII-196/BRII-198 from the ACTIV-2 study of Outpatient Monoclonal Antibodies and Other Therapies.

27 Aug 2021

New $14.5 million NIH grant to support research on HIV treatment and care in Central Africa

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy have been awarded a five-year, $14.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue leading and expand their research on HIV treatment and care in five Central African nations.

24 Aug 2021

Electronic health systems helped increase HBV screenings during COVID-19 pandemic

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, community health clinics saw a significant drop in patient visits. Important screenings like those for the hepatitis B virus (HBV) were getting missed, which was a setback for a local program called END B to end the transmission of HBV-;a leading risk factor for liver cancer.

23 Aug 2021

Study finds significant increase in opioid-associated cardiac arrests

A nationwide US study has shown that the rate of opioid-related cardiac arrests has steeply risen and is now on par with the rate of cardiac arrest from other causes. The research is presented at ESC Congress 2021.

23 Aug 2021

UT Health San Antonio professors urge uplifting US Latinos from obscurity to the forefront of health care

It is essential to lift the nation's Latino population from obscurity to the forefront of health care, public health intervention and societal presence, three professors from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio argue in a powerful commentary published Aug. 17 by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

19 Aug 2021

Age and sex affect the outcomes of time-restricted eating

Time-restricted eating (TRE), a dietary regimen that restricts eating to specific hours, has garnered increased attention in weight-loss circles.

17 Aug 2021