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.

Even light or non-drinkers who become easily inebriated may develop fatty liver disease

People who have reduced enzyme activity to breakdown active aldehyde, i.e., those who become easily inebriated, are more likely to develop fatty liver disease even if they do not drink alcohol.

25 May 2016

Epigenetic modification of Igfbp2 gene may increase risk of obesity and fatty liver

Scientists of the German Center for Diabetes Research led by the German Institute of Human Nutrition have shown in a mouse model that the epigenetic modification of the Igfbp2 gene observed in the young animal precedes a fatty liver in the adult animal later in life.

24 May 2016

Changes in intestinal microbiota linked to primary sclerosing cholangitis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis, also known as PSC, is a liver disease with no effective medical treatment. Liver transplantation is the only proven long-term treatment of PSC, although only a fraction of individuals with PSC will ultimately require it.

23 May 2016

Four major phenotypes may help improve prediction, prevention of cardiometabolic risk in prediabetes

Prediabetes is associated with increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia and cancer. However, the disease risk considerably varies among subjects.

21 May 2016

High levels of p62 protein in liver linked to cancer recurrence

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have discovered that high levels of the protein p62 in human liver samples are strongly associated with cancer recurrence and reduced patient survival.

20 May 2016

MERS individuals develop severe critical illness, higher mortality than non-MERS SARI patients

Patients with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) develop more severe critical illness and have higher mortality than patients with non-MERS severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), according to investigators involved with the largest study of critically ill patients with MERS.

19 May 2016

Research sheds light on potential impact of HCV treatment in preventing virus transmission

An international team of researchers has shed light on the potential impact of new drugs for hepatitis C virus (HCV).

19 May 2016

High levels of secretin hormone may play vital role in management of chronic liver diseases

High levels of a digestive hormone called secretin may play an important role in the management of certain chronic liver diseases, according to new research published in the journal Hepatology. These findings could result in new ways to treat cholestatic liver diseases, a condition that impairs the movement of bile, the fluid produced by the liver to digest fats.

18 May 2016

Clinical study shows sitagliptin drug not effective in treating NAFLD

A diabetes medication described in some studies as an effective treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) works no better than a placebo, report researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, after conducting the first randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial of sitagliptin, an oral antihyperglycemic marketed by Merck & Co. under the name Januvia.

13 May 2016

New study sheds more light on level of alcohol consumption among people with hepatitis C

Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of illness and death from the hepatitis C virus. A new national household study of U.S. adults published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows that many people living with hepatitis C report either former or current excessive alcohol use.

11 May 2016

Food deprivation may help treat fatty liver disease

Scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum München have new information on what happens at the molecular level when we go hungry. Working with the Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetesforschung and the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum they were able to show that upon deprivation of food a certain protein is produced that adjusts the metabolism in the liver.

9 May 2016

Scientists develop new technology that helps visualize translation of mRNA into proteins

For the first time, scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have developed a technology allowing them to "see" single molecules of messenger RNA as they are translated into proteins in living mammalian cells. Initial findings using this technology that may shed light on neurological diseases as well as cancer were published online today in Science.

9 May 2016

Simple test for measuring bile acids in biological fluids can help diagnose severe fat storage disorder

Researchers have developed a quick and simple method for measuring bile acids in biological fluids that can be used to rapidly diagnosis a severe fat storage disorder that can lead to liver disease in infancy and neurological dysfunction starting in childhood or early adult life.

5 May 2016

Sexually-assaulted women more likely to develop variety of medical conditions

Researchers have found that a variety of conditions are more common in women before and after sexual assault.

5 May 2016

New version of obesity drug could help people reduce weight without experiencing anxiety, depression

A new version of an obesity drug that caused serious psychiatric side effects could help people lose pounds without experiencing the anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts previously associated with it. The research, published in Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, shows that the new version of the drug can still work without reaching the brain in rats, avoiding the side effects.

29 Apr 2016

Study highlights significant burden of migraine on family activities

The debilitating pain and disability of migraine also attacks the emotional, social and financial fabric of a family, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Montefiore Headache Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, affiliated with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Vedanta Research, the Mayo Clinic and Allergan plc. The findings were published today in Volume 91, Issue 5 of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

28 Apr 2016

Serum marker may flag liver fibrosis in chronic HBV

Serum levels of Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2-binding protein may reflect the severity of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection, say researchers.

27 Apr 2016

Transforming MR images into body composition measurements: an interview with Olof Leinhard

Today's medical science utilizes relatively simple anthropometric measures that describe the body, such as body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. All of these measures are approximations of the body with the intention to characterize what's inside reflecting underlying phenomena that underpin the risk for different diseases.

26 Apr 2016

New therapy strategy for liver disease shows initial measureable success with norUrso

The new therapy strategy for primary sclerosing cholangitis, a liver disease that at present still cannot be cured with medication, shows initial measureable success with the nor-ursodeoxycholic acid (norUrso).

19 Apr 2016

Hepatitis C treatment can be provided safely, effectively within community-based setting

A new study, presented today, demonstrates treatment for Hepatitis C can be provided safely and effectively within a community-based and non-specialist setting. This illustrates the potential for alternative providers to ease pressure on currently overburdened specialists. The study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, was presented at The International Liver Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.

13 Apr 2016