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.

UCL-led researchers find way to assess viability of induced pluripotent stem cells

A research team led by scientists from UCL have found a way to assess the viability of 'manufactured' stem cells known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Published today in Nature Communications, the team's discovery offers a new way to fast-track screening methods used in stem cell research.

30 Jan 2016

Beta- and gamma-HPVs associated with development of head and neck cancers, finds Einstein study

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have found that when human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 is detected in peoples' mouths, they are 22 times more likely than those without HPV-16 to develop a type of head and neck cancer.

22 Jan 2016

Scientists reveal why non-alcoholic steatohepatitis worsens in obese people

In results published on October 19, 2015 in the Journal of Lipid Research, a team of translational scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina report a new reason why non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) worsens in people who are obese.

20 Jan 2016

Researchers engineer antibodies that could potently neutralize two deadliest strains of Ebola virus

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases have engineered the first antibodies that can potently neutralize the two deadliest strains of the virus that causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever.

13 Jan 2016

Long-term use of opioids increases risk of new-onset depression

Opioids may cause short-term improvement in mood, but long-term use imposes risk of new-onset depression, a Saint Louis University study shows.

13 Jan 2016

Scientists identify unusual regulator of body weight, metabolic syndrome

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered an unusual regulator of body weight and the metabolic syndrome: a molecular mechanism more commonly associated with brain cells. Lowering levels of P75 neurotrophin receptor (NTR)--a receptor involved in neuron growth and survival--protected mice fed a high-fat diet from developing obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver disease.

12 Jan 2016

GPR119 could be a potential treatment target for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

New research published in the January 2016 issue of The FASEB Journal suggests that the G-protein-coupled receptor 119 (GPR119) could be a viable treatment target for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This receptor has already been identified as a drug target for diabetes and obesity, and this report raises hopes that compounds that target GPR119 for diabetes or obesity might also work for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

12 Jan 2016

Alcohol limits lowered to reflect current knowledge of associated health risks

UK guidelines for alcohol consumption have been revised to bring them in line with current research findings. The revised guidelines, published today, state that there is not a safe limit for alcohol intake and that the risks are similar for men and women.

8 Jan 2016

DURECT reports successful completion of DUR-928 Phase 1 study for acute use indications

DURECT Corporation today announced the successful completion of a Phase 1 clinical trial with an injectable formulation of DUR-928 intended for acute use indications. DUR-928 is an endogenous, small-molecule, new chemical entity (NCE), which may have broad applicability in metabolic diseases such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and in acute organ injuries such as acute kidney injury (AKI).

6 Jan 2016

MUSC researchers receive $1.68 million NIH grant to study better treatment for chronic pancreatitis, diabetes

MUSC researchers received a $1.68 million National Institutes of Health grant to explore a better treatment for chronic pancreatitis, with the hopes that it also may shed light on a future cure for patients with type 1 diabetes.

4 Jan 2016

Immune enters into exclusive license with Atlante Biotech for new format of bispecific antibodies

Immune Pharmaceuticals Inc. a clinical-stage company developing novel therapies for the treatment of immuno-inflammatory diseases and cancer, today announced it has entered into an exclusive license with Atlante Biotech SAS, to the patents and know-how for a new format of bispecific antibodies.

29 Dec 2015

Ebola virus and bats waging molecular battle for survival

Ebola virus and bats have been waging a molecular battle for survival that may have started at least 25 million years ago, according to a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the University of Colorado-Boulder (CU-Boulder) and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) that published online today in the journal eLife.

24 Dec 2015

Novel antibody improves glucose regulation and reduces fatty liver in obese mice

A new study by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and colleagues describes the pre-clinical development of a therapeutic that could potentially be used to treat type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and other metabolic diseases.

24 Dec 2015

Regulus begins RG-125(AZD4076) Phase I study for treatment of NASH in patients with type 2 diabetes/pre-diabetes

Regulus Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company leading the discovery and development of innovative medicines targeting microRNAs, announced today that dosing has begun in a first-in-human Phase I clinical study of RG-125(AZD4076), by its collaboration partner AstraZeneca.

21 Dec 2015

Chronic alcohol use with repeated binge drinking can cause more damage to the liver

Excessive alcohol consumption is a global public health issue. In the United States, binge drinking is the most common form - so common, in fact, that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports approximately one in six adults binge drinks about four times each month.

18 Dec 2015

Bile acid may help treat fatty liver disease and obesity

A bile acid that can turn off a receptor in the gut has prevented and reversed fatty liver disease in mice, according to an international team of researchers. The compound may help treat certain metabolic disorders, such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity, as well.

16 Dec 2015

Stanford researchers develop novel technique for mapping diversity of gut bacteria

A collaboration between computer scientists and geneticists at Stanford University has produced a novel technique for mapping the diversity of bacteria living in the human gut.

15 Dec 2015

SLU scientist awarded new $2.2 million NIH grant to develop cure for hepatitis B

With proof-of-principle in his pocket and a new $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, SLU scientist John Tavis, Ph.D., will take his 25 year mission to finally develop a cure for the hepatitis B virus into the next phase.

15 Dec 2015

Perceived stress increases likelihood of amnestic mild cognitive impairment in older people

Feeling stressed out increases the likelihood that elderly people will develop mild cognitive impairment—often a prelude to full-blown Alzheimer's disease. In a new study, scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System found that highly stressed participants were more than twice as likely to become impaired than those who were not.

13 Dec 2015

World Hepatitis Alliance highlights need to recognise impact of coinfection between HIV and viral hepatitis

Viral hepatitis is one of the leading causes of non-AIDS-related deaths among people living with HIV, yet often goes undiagnosed. Similar to HIV, the hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses are blood-borne, having similar transmission routes like sexual contact for hepatitis B and injection drug use and sexual contact for hepatitis C.

7 Dec 2015