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.

New research may help treat HIV patients without elevating risk for liver disease

As a raft of new treatments for HIV infection have come on the market in the past 20 years, AIDS patients got access to drugs that allowed them to live longer.

1 Feb 2019

Newly discovered molecules show potential to treat obesity and fatty liver disease

Amiram Goldblum and his team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute for Drug Research have discovered 27 new molecules. These molecules all activate a special protein called PPAR-delta and have the potential to treat fatty liver disease, obesity, diabetic nephrotoxicity, and to heal wounds.

31 Jan 2019

Standard method for ranking liver transplant waitlists may not prioritize the sickest candidates

A new study has uncovered that the standard method for ranking patients on the waitlist for lifesaving liver transplantation may not prioritize some of the sickest candidates for the top of the list.

25 Jan 2019

Clinical Design launches world’s only hygienic digital urine test at Arab Health 2019

The world’s only hygienic, easy-to-use and accurate digital point-of-care urine test is being launched at Arab Health 2019 by UK company, Clinical Design.

24 Jan 2019

Low-sugar diet leads to significant improvement in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in boys

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Emory University School of Medicine found that a diet low in free sugars resulted in significant improvement in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in adolescent boys.

23 Jan 2019

Alcohol-linked disease overtakes hep C as top reason for liver transplant

An estimated 17,000 Americans are on the waiting list for a liver transplant, and there's a strong chance that many of them have alcohol-associated liver disease. ALD now edges out hepatitis C as the No. 1 reason for liver transplants in the United States, according to research published Tuesday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

23 Jan 2019

Study shows hereditary hemochromatosis behind many cancers and joint diseases

A British study has found that “stealth disease”, also known as hemochromatosis, could be the reason behind several disease conditions including cancers and joint diseases.

20 Jan 2019

Researchers identify new therapeutic target in the fight against chronic liver diseases

Chronic liver disease is known as the silent killer, as it shows no obvious symptoms until the disease has progressed to an advanced stage. Therefore, making a proper diagnosis in the early stage of disease progression can be a clinical challenge.

18 Jan 2019

Salk team uses new model to study health effects of AMP-activated protein kinase

The metabolic protein AMPK has been described as a kind of magic bullet for health. Studies in animal models have shown that compounds that activate the protein have health-promoting effects to reverse diabetes, improve cardiovascular health, treat mitochondrial disease--even extend life span.

16 Jan 2019

Researchers identify MANF as a rejuvenating factor in parabiosis

Older mice who are surgically joined with young mice in order to share a common bloodstream get stronger and healthier, making parabiosis one of the hottest topics in age research. Publishing in Nature Metabolism, researchers from the Buck Institute report that MANF (mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor) is one of the factors responsible for rejuvenating the transfused older mice.

16 Jan 2019

A new frontier in research to better understand gut microbiome and digestive health

Research on the gut microbiome is one of the most promising areas of science today. In a new special issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the American Gastroenterological Association has taken the deep-dive into the gut microbiome that both scientists and the public are looking for to help them better understand the effects of the microbiome on health and disease.

7 Jan 2019

Medicaid patients in Puerto Rico don’t get coverage for drugs to cure hepatitis C

Drugs that can cure hepatitis C revolutionized care for millions of Americans living with the deadly liver infection. The drugs came with a steep price tag — one that prompted state Medicaid programs to initially limit access to the medications to only the sickest patients.

4 Jan 2019

New technique using microneedles may mean rapid diagnoses of major illnesses

When people are in the early stages of an undiagnosed disease, immediate tests that lead to treatment are the best first steps. But a blood draw -- usually performed by a medical professional armed with an uncomfortably large needle -- might not be quickest, least painful or most effective method, according to new research.

3 Jan 2019

Higher vitamin C intake crucial for metabolic syndrome patients to halt cycle of antioxidant disruption

A higher intake of vitamin C is crucial for metabolic syndrome patients trying to halt a potentially deadly cycle of antioxidant disruption and health-related problems, an Oregon State University researcher says.

2 Jan 2019

Dry January helps participants control their drinking, have better skin and lose weight

New research from the University of Sussex shows that taking part in Dry January - abstaining from booze for a month - sees people regaining control of their drinking, having more energy, better skin and losing weight. They also report drinking less months later.

31 Dec 2018

Simple tests in GP surgeries could increase diagnosis rate of liver disease

Research carried out by scientists at the University of Southampton has shown that simple tests in GP surgeries could potentially double the diagnosis rate of liver disease where patients are not displaying any symptoms.

24 Dec 2018

New study reveals how fatty diet can lead to serious form of liver disease

A new study by Keck School of Medicine of USC researchers shows there's yet another reason to avoid a high fat, high cholesterol diet: It can trigger changes in the immune system that lead to a serious form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

20 Dec 2018

Experimental gene therapy extends lifespan of mice suffering from untreatable mitochondrial disease

Researchers at the University of Helsinki and Folkhälsan Research Center have, together with their collaborators, for the first time demonstrated in a mouse model that partial restoration of respiratory chain function in mitochondria, which serve as cellular power plants, may be sufficient to entirely prevent symptoms of a severe mitochondrial disorder.

20 Dec 2018

SLU researcher aims to eliminate TB with focus on high-risk patients

In a recent paper published in PLOS One, Soumya Chatterjee, M.D., assistant professor of infectious diseases, allergy and immunology at Saint Louis University, presents data to show that a focus on high-risk tuberculosis patients may be the answer to stalled progress in stamping out the illness in the United States.

19 Dec 2018

Green leafy vegetables may reduce risk of developing liver steatosis

A larger portion of green leafy vegetables in the diet may reduce the risk of developing liver steatosis, or fatty liver. In a study published in PNAS researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden show how a larger intake of inorganic nitrate, which occurs naturally in many types of vegetable, reduces accumulation of fat in the liver.

17 Dec 2018