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.

HEV infections can be fatal and transmitted through blood products in immunosuppressed patients

Hepatitis E virus infection is once again in the spotlight, with two studies presented today at The International Liver Congress 2018 in Paris, France challenging the ideas that HEV infections are benign and self-limiting, and that blood-borne transmission is a rare event.

12 Apr 2018

Mediterranean-style diet linked to greater gut microbial diversity, lower risk of hospitalization

A diet that is Mediterranean style, and rich in vegetables and fermented milk products such as yoghurt, along with coffee, tea and chocolate, is associated with greater gut microbial diversity and a lower risk of hospitalization in patients with liver cirrhosis, according to the results of an international study presented today at The International Liver Congress™ 2018 in Paris, France.

12 Apr 2018

Experimental peptide drug shows promise against acute myeloid leukemia

In a study published online today in Science Translational Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers report that an experimental peptide drug shows promise against the often-lethal cancer acute myeloid leukemia and describe how the drug works at the molecular level.

11 Apr 2018

ALIVER produces animated short-film to raise public awareness about liver disease

An animated short-film produced by the ALIVER consortium titled "Life After Liver Failure", premieres tomorrow morning at the BioTech Village in The International Liver Congress 2018.

11 Apr 2018

Scientists develop and validate rapid point-of-care HCV assay

One of the major challenges identified by the WHO in efforts to eradicate the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the diagnosis of chronic cases that are generally asymptomatic.

10 Apr 2018

Experts explore how degenerative processes impair the body's detoxification system

A poor diet and other risk factors can result in liver disease. This important metabolic organ can become fatty and inflamed. In the long term, this may result in irreversible and life-threatening organ damage (cirrhosis of the liver or 'shrunken liver').

9 Apr 2018

Using the Microbiome to Predict the Risk of Cirrhosis-Associated Hospitalization

The microbiome is the collection of microorganisms that colonize the human body. Dr. Jasmohan Bajaj discusses the relationship between the microorganisms in the gut and cirrhosis, and how microbiome analysis can be used to predict the risk of cirrhosis-associated hospitalizations.

7 Apr 2018

The effects of obesity can be seen in children as young as eight

Obesity may adversely affect liver health in children as young as 8 years old, according to a new study led by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center.

4 Apr 2018

Obesity may have negative impact on liver health in children as young as 8 years old

A new study published today in The Journal of Pediatrics is the first to show that weight gain may have a negative impact on liver health in children as young as 8 years old. The study found that bigger waist circumference at age 3 raises the likelihood that by age 8, children will have markers for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

4 Apr 2018

Lipodystrophy: The Importance of Awareness

An interview with Rebecca Sanders, Lipodystrophy UK co-founder, discussing the importance of awareness campaigns for patients and society at large.

3 Apr 2018

Alcohol-related liver cancer may have poor prognosis than other types

A new study indicates that patients with alcohol-related liver cancer often do not live as long as patients with liver cancer that is not associated with alcohol consumption, mainly due to diagnoses at later stages.

28 Mar 2018

Study finds low hepatitis C virus screening rates among baby boomers

Despite the steady increase of liver cancer incidence in the United States in recent decades, data from 2015 indicates that less than 13 percent of individuals born between 1945 and 1965 are estimated to have undergone screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV).

27 Mar 2018

SLU researchers turn off excruciating chemo pain in animal model

In a recent paper published in the journal Pain, Saint Louis University researchers describe their success in an animal model in turning off the excruciating pain that often accompanies a colorectal cancer drug.

26 Mar 2018

Red and processed meat may increase the risk of liver disease

A new study has added non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to the list of chronic diseases associated with a high consumption of red and processed meat.

20 Mar 2018

Scientists uncover new answers to cell aging in children with rare, fatal disease

In a recent paper published in Cell Reports, Saint Louis University researchers have uncovered new answers about why cells rapidly age in children with a rare and fatal disease.

20 Mar 2018

Newer treatment for type 2 diabetes reduces liver fat in patients with NAFLD

In people with type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is common and can progress to a severe liver disease known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

19 Mar 2018

E-cigarette use linked to fat accumulation in the liver

Using e-cigarettes may lead to an accumulation of fat in the liver, a study of mice exposed to the devices suggests.

19 Mar 2018

Gastrointestinal hormone offers possible new treatment for NAFLD and NASH patients

Through a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that small doses of NGM282, a non-tumorigenic variant of an endocrine gastrointestinal hormone, can significantly and rapidly decrease liver fat content in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

9 Mar 2018

Text messaging may hold promise in helping ALD liver-transplant patients maintain sobriety

Each year in the U.S., more than 40,000 patients need a liver transplant because of complications associated with cirrhosis and liver failure. Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) alone accounts for nearly 30 percent of all liver transplants, yet up to 50 percent of patients with alcoholism return to drinking within five years of undergoing a liver transplant.

5 Mar 2018

Telomere length testing can alter treatment decisions for certain diseases

Research led by Johns Hopkins physicians and scientists shows that a test for measuring the length of DNA endcaps, called telomeres, which has a variability rate of 5 percent, can alter treatment decisions for patients with certain types of bone marrow failure.

27 Feb 2018