A virtual liver, a better chance of life
January 7, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Contact: Piotr Pogorzelski
piotr.pogorzelski@es.eureka.be
322-777-0979
EUREKA
EUREKA project E! 3184 Odysseus has developed systems to construct 3D images of individual patients’ livers, with their tumours or other pathologies, from MRI or CT-scans. The reconstructions can be transmitted to external experts in any location, for consultation in real time just before surgery. Collaborative decisions can be made and optimal therapy planned with the best possible diagnostic support, before real surgery is attempted. Simulation of laparoscopic and robotic surgery, with tissue resistance, can be used either to practise the exact surgery proposed for an individual patient, or also for training several surgeons simultaneously.
Metobolomics uncovers key indicators of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
November 24, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Impaired oxidation in liver associated with progression to NASH
A recent metobolomics study by researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond found that impaired peroxisomal oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) is associated with the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The study also found significantly higher plasma monounsaturated fatty acids in the blood of patients with NAFL and NASH. Full findings appear in the December issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
Common herbal medicine may prevent acetaminophen-related liver damage, says Stanford researcher
November 23, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
STANFORD, Calif. A well-known Eastern medicine supplement may help avoid the most common cause of liver transplantation, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding came as a surprise to the scientists, who used a number of advanced genetic and genomic techniques in mice to identify a molecular pathway that counters acetaminophen toxicity, which leads to liver failure.
Medication effective for acute liver failure in early stages of disease
The antidote for acute liver failure caused by acetaminophen poisoning also can treat acute liver failure due to most other causes if given before severe injury occurs, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers and their colleagues at 21 other institutions have found.
Vitamin D deficiency common in patients with IBD, chronic liver disease
October 6, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Vitamin D replacement may be necessary to reverse deficiency-related bone loss
New research presented at the 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Orlando found patients with inflammatory bowel disease or chronic liver disease were at increased risk of developing Vitamin D deficiencies. Two separate studies highlight the importance of regular Vitamin D checkups in the evaluation of patients with certain digestive diseases.
Noninvasive test accurately identifies advanced liver disease without biopsy
September 1, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Transient elastography evaluates liver stiffness to diagnose cirrhosis
Non-invasively measuring liver stiffness with transient elastography accurately diagnoses patients with late-stage liver disease, reports a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.
To protect against liver disease, body puts cells ‘under arrest’
August 22, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
A stable form of cell-cycle arrest known to offer potent protection against cancer also limits liver fibrosis, a condition characterized by an excess of fibrous tissue, according to a new report in the August 22nd Cell, a Cell Press publication. Triggered by chronic liver damage produced by hepatitis infection, alcohol abuse, or fatty liver disease, liver fibrosis can lead to cirrhosis, a major health problem worldwide and the 12th most common cause of death in the United States.
Scientists use stem cells from the umbilical cord to treat hepatic diseases
July 3, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
A research group from the Universities of Granada and Len has proved that mononuclear blood cells from human umbilical cord can be an effective alternative to bone marrow.
- This work, which will be published in the journal Cell Transplantation, means a great advance in regenerative hepatic medicine and has been tested in rats. UGR News Scientists from the University of Granada (Spain), in collaboration with the University of Len, have confirmed that stem cells from human umbilical cord blood can be an appropriate therapy for the treatment of hepatic diseases such as hepatitis, and are therefore an effective alternative to bone marrow. According to a scientific paper which will be published before long in the prestigious journal Cell Transplantation, human umbilical cord blood cells (HUCBCs) are useful for hepatic regenerative medicine, as they are capable of nesting in the liver after carrying out a xenotransplant from human to rat.
This work, carried out by Ana I. lvarez-Mercado, Mara J. Sez-Lara, Mara V. Garca-Mediavilla, Sonia Snchez-Campos, Francisco Abada, Mara Cabello-Donayre, ngel Gil, Javier Gonzlez-Gallego and Luis Fontana , did research into the regenerative potential of HUCBCs cells using a xenotransplant model from human to rat in which HUCBCs were injected through the hepatic portal vein of rats with hepatitis caused by D-galactosamine.
Common bacteria activating natural killer T cells may cause autoimmune liver disease
May 14, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Researchers close in on possible cause of primary biliary cirrhosis
A bacteria commonly found in soil and water triggered autoimmune symptoms in mice similar to those found in an incurable liver disease called Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC). Reporting their findings in the May 15 Cell Host & Microbe, the multi-institutional research team said injecting laboratory mice with the bacterium Novosphingobium aromaticivorans prompted activation of Natural Killer T (NKT) cells, which were critical to initiating autoimmune processes that led to liver disease.
Penn researchers find targeted therapy combination overcomes treatment resistance in liver cancer
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Abramson Cancer Center reported today at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research that combining two targeted therapies overcomes treatment resistance in liver cancer cell lines. The team is currently designing a trial to test the combination in patients.
