Articles tagged with Liver
The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) will present over 1,000 presentations on liver-related diseases, including new findings on using alcohol to repair damaged livers and the impact of race on response to anti-viral therapy in chronic Hepatitis C patients. The meeting aims to advance the science and practice...
A new study found that heavy alcohol consumption initiates free-radical mediated processes associated with heart disease, stroke, cirrhosis of the liver, and other chronic diseases. Vitamin C may help quell this activity, potentially limiting organ injury.
A Brown University research team has identified primary signals that initiate liver formation in embryonic cells. Understanding these signals could lead to new treatments for diseases such as viral hepatitis and cancer by enabling tissue regeneration and reprogramming of diseased cells.
Researchers at VistaGen use ES cells to identify drugs that might harm the liver, which could lead to safer pharmaceuticals. The company's scientists have already detected toxins in mouse ES cells and plan to repeat the experiment with human cells.
Children between 2-18 years old had the best success with a five-year survival rate of 68%, followed by adults with Crohn's disease. Intestinal transplantation improves quality of life, reducing reliance on intravenous nutrition and hospitalizations.
A recent study reveals that nearly two-thirds of livers donated by children were transplanted into adults, despite an increase in pediatric donors. This has led to a shortage of organs for children, with alternative procedures like segmental grafts becoming more common.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center discovered that bone marrow-derived cells can differentiate into functional liver cells, potentially repairing or replacing damaged livers. This breakthrough challenges traditional scientific dogma and opens up new possibilities for treating liver diseases.
Bone marrow stem cells have been shown to form liver cells, suggesting a potential new approach for treating cirrhosis. Researchers at McGill University in Quebec discovered that cells from bone marrow can differentiate into hepatocytes, oval cells and bile duct cells.
A new study by UC San Francisco health policy researchers found that patient characteristics and clinical practices significantly impact hospital resource use for liver transplantation. The study suggests guidelines to standardize resource use may lower costs, while findings highlight the need to reduce variations in practice patterns.
Researchers at Penn discovered that chemoembolization doubles the survival time of adult patients with colon cancer that has spread to the liver. The procedure, which delivers chemotherapy directly to tumor cells, outperforms systemic chemotherapy in managing metastasized disease.
Researchers found that liver ischemia/reperfusion injury induces a caspase-dependent apoptosis in endothelial cells. The study identified the type of affected cell and the molecular pathway responsible for the damage, opening doors to develop therapies to prevent or reduce liver preservation injury.
A Cedars-Sinai researcher has identified a gene associated with malignancy in brain, liver, breast, colon, kidney, and reproductive organs, but not in healthy adults. The discovery could lead to the development of a method to block the gene's expression using antisense technology, potentially stopping cancer before it spreads.
A team of physicians and scientists successfully demonstrated the long-term function of transplanted human liver cells in a patient with Crigler-Najjar Syndrome Type I. The procedure reduced the patient's daily phototherapy needs from 12 hours to six hours, significantly improving her quality of life.
Researchers at UPMC report significant improvements in survival times and intercranial pressure in animals treated with the bio-artificial liver assist device. The device aims to provide temporary support to patients with acute liver failure until their liver recovers or transplantation is possible.
A study of 7,422 records found that women waited an average of 110 days to receive a liver transplant, 19 days longer than men. Minority groups also faced significantly longer wait times, with foreign nationals waiting 61 days and Asian-Americans and Hispanic-Americans waiting 138 and 107 days, respectively. The study's findings highli...
Researchers have developed a gene therapy technique that makes recipient's immune system tolerant of newly engrafted organs, eliminating the need for lifelong immunosuppressive drug therapy. The approach involves introducing a vector carrying the CTLA4Ig protein into an organ preservation solution before transplant surgery.
Researchers found that using Interferon-alpha, a cancer treatment agent, can extend the preservation time of donor livers and improve their function. This novel approach may significantly help future liver transplant patients by allowing for more time to prepare the organ.
A phase I multicenter trial uses transgenic pig livers as an ex vivo support system to remove toxins from patients' blood, extending their lives until a human donor liver is available. Researchers aim to alleviate the critical shortage of human donor organs, which claims 3,000 lives per year in the US.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center found that a hepatitis infection converts the liver into a 'cancer time bomb' by converting it into billions of cancer-prone cells. The virus makes even apparently healthy cells lose one of two copies of a protective tumor suppressor gene, making them vulnerable to further genetic damage.