Liver News and Research

RSS

Caffeinated beverages may benefit some people who are at high-risk for liver disease

According to new research presented today at Digestive Disease Week, drinking caffeinated beverages may benefit some people who are at high-risk for liver disease. Conversely, a study by researchers from India found that soda drinkers, who represent a huge percentage of the American population, may actually have an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer.

19 May 2004

Fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children has distinct characteristics different from those found in adults

Potentially life-threatening non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children has distinct characteristics, often different from those found in adults, according to a University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine study led by Jeffrey Schwimmer, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics.

19 May 2004

Benitec acquires Avocel to focus on rapid development of hepatitis C therapeutics

Benitec Ltd. today announced the acquisition of Avocel, Inc. of Sunnyvale, CA, a leading RNAi therapeutics company, and the establishment of its wholly-owned US subsidiary, Benitec, Inc. Through the acquisition, Benitec gains its first in-house advanced therapeutic development program using DNA-directed RNAi (ddRNAi) to target the Hepatitis C virus.

18 May 2004

Interventional radiologists now are able to treat using minimally invasive procedures

Interventional radiologists at Temple University Hospital now are able to treat many patients with minimally invasive procedures not available only a few years ago. “Conditions that used to require extensive surgery now take an hour or less, and patients leave with a bandaid and walk home,” says Gary Cohen, M.D., Section Chief of Interventional Radiology and Vice Chairman of Radiology. “How can you beat that?”

17 May 2004

Regional review boards improve liver transplant allocation

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) currently utilizes scores based on the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) or Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease (PELD) to prioritize patients waiting for liver transplants.

17 May 2004

Researcher has learned how to maximize the cancer-fighting power of broccoli

University of Illinois researcher Elizabeth Jeffery has learned how to maximize the cancer-fighting power of broccoli. It involves heating broccoli just enough to eliminate a sulfur-grabbing protein, but not enough to stop the plant from releasing an important cancer-fighting compound called sulforaphane.

15 May 2004

Risk of artery plaques increased by use of HIV drugs

An Italian study has provided evidence that HIV drugs called protease inhibitors may increase the risk of artery "plaques."

15 May 2004

Signs of liver disease also improve in conjunction with alterations to gut flora

Some cirrhotic patients develop brain dysfunction, called hepatic encephalopathy, which causes deficits in behavior, intelligence, consciousness and neuromuscular function.

14 May 2004

Screening for liver diseases benefits outweigh costs for some, but not all, conditions

Screening programs for liver diseases can detect asymptomatic conditions which might have better outcomes if diagnosed and treated earlier.

14 May 2004

Largest study comparing leading hepatitis C treatments

Medical centers, hospitals, clinics and other treatment sites across the country are actively enrolling Americans with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a nationwide study that will for the first time determine which of the two FDA-approved pegylated interferon therapy regimens offers patients the best chance to eliminate the virus.

14 May 2004

Suprachiasmatic nucleus brain tissue sheds light on jet lag

New research led by a University of Washington biologist demonstrates that there are at least two circadian clocks in the mammal brain, one that sticks strictly to an internal schedule and another that can be altered by external influences such as light and dark.

12 May 2004

Compound found in the peels of citrus fruit can potentially lower cholesterol more effectively than prescription drugs

A compound found in the peels of citrus fruit has the potential to lower cholesterol more effectively than some prescription drugs, and without side effects, according to a study by U.S. and Canadian researchers.

11 May 2004

Risk of prostate cancer greater in men over 50 with high levels of testosterone

Men over 50 years of age with high blood levels of testosterone have an increased risk of prostate cancer, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging. The finding throws some doubt on the safety of testosterone replacement therapy, the investigators say.

11 May 2004

Strategy to treat obesity through molecular liposuction

Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have designed a strategy to treat obesity through “molecular liposuction.” The therapy destroys blood vessels supporting fat accumulation — causing the fat to rapidly break down and disappear.

10 May 2004

Genetic breakthrough in tracing the cause of a rare kidney and liver disorder

Birmingham scientists have made a genetic breakthrough in tracing the cause of a rare kidney and liver disorder. ARC syndrome means babies are born with impairment to kidney and liver function, bleeding problems and weak muscles. This usually leads to early death. The gene which causes this condition has been identified.

8 May 2004

Despite spending more for health care, Americans do not have the best medical care in the world

Despite spending more for health care, Americans do not have the best medical care in the world, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions.

6 May 2004

A second-generation targetted antibody for potential cancer therapy

The overproduction, or 'overexpression', of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of the most common aberrations in cancer, and subsequently agents that inhibit EGFR are among the most hotly-pursued potential products in the pharmaceutical industry.

6 May 2004

New guidelines for using new antiepileptic drugs to treat epilepsy

The number of drugs available to treat epilepsy have more than doubled in the last decade. The American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society have assembled the top experts in the field to evaluate the available data of 1,462 research articles in order to create a guideline for the treatment of epilepsy with the new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs).

6 May 2004

Embryo testing could produce babies who might aid sick siblings

Parents with a child requiring stem cell transplantation can have genetic testing done on embryos prior to implantation to determine if the tissue type matches and the ensuing offspring could potentially serve as a donor to the affected child, according to a study in the May 5 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

5 May 2004

Australian company receives FDA orphan drug designation for product to treat malignant melanomas

Progen Industries Limited, an Australian anti-cancer drug development company, announced today that it has received orphan drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their lead anti-angiogenesis product PI-88 for treatment of malignant melanoma.

3 May 2004

Liver News and Research

Caffeinated beverages may benefit some people who are at high-risk for liver disease

Fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children has distinct characteristics different from those found in adults

Benitec acquires Avocel to focus on rapid development of hepatitis C therapeutics

Interventional radiologists now are able to treat using minimally invasive procedures

Regional review boards improve liver transplant allocation

Researcher has learned how to maximize the cancer-fighting power of broccoli

Risk of artery plaques increased by use of HIV drugs

Signs of liver disease also improve in conjunction with alterations to gut flora

Screening for liver diseases benefits outweigh costs for some, but not all, conditions

Largest study comparing leading hepatitis C treatments

Suprachiasmatic nucleus brain tissue sheds light on jet lag

Compound found in the peels of citrus fruit can potentially lower cholesterol more effectively than prescription drugs

Risk of prostate cancer greater in men over 50 with high levels of testosterone

Strategy to treat obesity through molecular liposuction

Genetic breakthrough in tracing the cause of a rare kidney and liver disorder

Despite spending more for health care, Americans do not have the best medical care in the world

A second-generation targetted antibody for potential cancer therapy

New guidelines for using new antiepileptic drugs to treat epilepsy

Embryo testing could produce babies who might aid sick siblings

Australian company receives FDA orphan drug designation for product to treat malignant melanomas

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

Latest News