Researchers conducted an original research study utilizing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) to compare trends in mortality from alcoholic cirrhosis in the U.S. in 1999 with those 20 years later in 2019.
Tag: Liver Disease
Pediatric Liver Disease Increases Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes
UC San Diego researchers describe connection between pediatric liver disease and increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Both rates are rising in children.
New Liver and Kidney Disease Identified
Scientists have identified a new disease in a ground-breaking discovery that could help patients with unexplained liver and kidney problems.
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Foundation Announces Funding of over $2.8 Million in Research and Career Development Awards, Abstract Awards, and Emerging Liver Scholars Program
The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Foundation, the largest private supporter of liver disease research and training in the United States, today announced its combined investment of over $2.8 million in Research and Career Development Awards, Abstract Awards, and its Emerging Liver Scholars (ELS) Program.
World Trade Center Responders with the Greatest Exposure to Toxic Dust Have a Higher Likelihood of Liver Disease
Mount Sinai researchers have found evidence for the first time that World Trade Center responders had a higher likelihood of developing liver disease if they arrived at the site right after the attacks as opposed to working at Ground Zero later in the rescue and recovery efforts. Their study links the increase in liver disease risk to the quantity of toxic dust the workers were exposed to, which was greatest immediately after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
‘Good cholesterol’ may protect liver
The body’s so-called good cholesterol may be even better than we realize. New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that one type of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) has a previously unknown role in protecting the liver from injury. This HDL protects the liver by blocking inflammatory signals produced by common gut bacteria.
COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Against Infection Lower and Slower in People with Liver Disease
A study shows for the first time that people with cirrhosis who receive mRNA COVID-19 vaccination gain important protection against more serious outcomes like hospitalization and death. At the same time, however, the vaccines offer less protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and take longer to take effect in this population.
Selective, Toxin-Bearing Antibodies Could Help Treat Liver Fibrosis
UC San Diego researchers discovered that immunotoxins targeting the protein mesothelin prevent liver cells from producing collagen, a precursor to fibrosis and cirrhosis, in mouse models of human disease.
Drinking Any Type of Coffee Associated with Reduced Risk of Chronic Liver Disease
Drinking coffee that is caffeinated (ground or instant) or decaffeinated is associated with a reduced risk of developing chronic liver disease and related liver conditions, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Public Health.
NYU Langone Seeks to Close the Gap in Colorectal Cancer Disparities with $2.2 Million Cohen Foundation Grant
NYU Langone Health will expand colorectal cancer screenings to address disease disparities in underserved communities with a $2.2 million grant from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation.
Alcohol Use Interferes with Calcium Signaling in the Liver
New research in rats finds that exposure to ethanol (drinking alcohol) disrupts hormone-activated calcium signaling in the liver. The study is published ahead of print in the journal Function. One of the functions of calcium-mobilizing hormones is to regulate liver…

Synthetic Biology and Machine Learning Speed the Creation of Lab-Grown Livers
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have combined synthetic biology with a machine learning algorithm to create human liver organoids with blood and bile handling systems. When implanted into mice with failing livers, the lab-grown replacement livers extended life.

Antimicrobial Soap Additive Worsens Fatty Liver Disease in Mice
Triclosan, an antimicrobial found in many soaps and other household items, worsens fatty liver disease in mice fed a high-fat diet.

Researchers Find County Differences in Liver Mortality in the U.S.
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Emory researchers found significant differences in death rates even within the same state, according to a recently published study in Gastroenterology.
Improved Center-Specific Practices May Ease Effects of Socioeconomic Deprivation for Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients
Data from a new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting Digital Experience® – held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases – found that while neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation is associated with worse adverse long-term outcomes after liver transplant in children, improving center-specific practices can mitigate these effects for young at-risk patients.
Alarming New Study Highlights Need for Improved Access to HBV Vaccination, Testing and Treatment
Data from a new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting Digital Experience® – held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases – found that in 2019, more than 500,000 persons died of hepatitis B virus infection, highlighting the urgent need for universal HBV vaccination of children beginning at birth, and scaling up testing and access to care and treatment before people with the virus develop life-threatening liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Unique Coagulation Driven by IL-6 Trans-Signaling Associated with Liver Injury in COVID-19
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Data from a new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting Digital Experience® – held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases – found that COVID-19 coagulation impairment, driven in part by endothelial Factor VIII, is associated with liver injury in infected patients. The study’s findings also show that IL-6 trans-signaling, which may play a role in COVID-19 development, results in prothrombotic liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) that may mediate the liver injury via elevated Factor VIII and activation of coagulation in the liver microvasculature.
High Abdominal Fat and Low Liver Fat Combo Increases Coronary Heart Disease Risk
Data from a new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting Digital Experience® – held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases – found that the distribution of a person’s body fat affects coronary heart disease risk, with an increased risk of heart events among people with a combination of high visceral adipose tissue (VAT) – abdominal fat─ and low liver fat. The study’s findings indicate that liver triglyceride regulation plays an important role in heart health in people with discordant visceral adipose tissue and liver fat levels.
New Cases of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Disproportionately Affecting Americans in Rural Areas New Study Shows
Data from a new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting Digital Experience® – held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases – found that the rate of new hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases has slowed since 2009, but only in urban areas. Rural non-Hispanic whites and Blacks have experienced the greatest increases over time when comparing rural and urban HCC trends by specific demographic factors.
High-intensity Exercise Reduces Liver Inflammation, Slows Progression of Steatohepatitis
Researchers from the University of Minnesota found that HIIT reduced the progression of fatty liver disease. They also found that HIIT was superior to moderate-intensity exercise at improving metabolism and reducing inflammation and damage. Researchers believe this study could help improve…

U.S. News & World Report: UC San Diego #1 for Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research
U.S. News & World Report named University of California San Diego School of Medicine a top global university and ranked the divisions of Gastroenterology and Hepatology #1 in the world for research.
New animal model identified to research hepatitis B virus
Squirrel monkeys have been identified as a new animal model to further study and improve therapies for hepatitis B infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Christopher Chen, Ph.D., Assistant Director for Research at the Southwest National Primate Center at Texas Biomed, led the team of scientists who published their findings in Hepatology Communications.
Sulfatase 2 Plays Role in Development of Obesity-induced Fatty Liver Disease
Article title: Knockout of sulfatase 2 is associated with decreased steatohepatitis and fibrosis in a mouse model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease Authors: Tae Hyo Kim, Bubu A. Banini,* Faizal Z. Asumda, Nellie A. Campbell, Chunling Hu, Catherine D. Moser, Abdirashid…

Excessive Fructose Consumption May Cause a Leaky Gut, Leading to Fatty Liver Disease
Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that fructose only adversely affects the liver after it reaches the intestines, where the sugar disrupts the epithelial barrier protecting internal organs from bacterial toxins in the gut.
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Foundation Announces Funding of over $2.2 Million in Research and Career Development Awards, Abstract Awards, and Emerging Liver Scholars Program
The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Foundation, the largest private supporter of liver disease research and training in the United States, today announced its combined investment of over $2.2 million in Research and Career Development Awards, Abstract Awards, and its Emerging Liver Scholars (ELS) Program.

Universal Gut Microbiome-Derived Signature Predicts Cirrhosis
UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers report that stool microbiomes of NAFLD patients are distinct enough to potentially be used to accurately predict which persons with NAFLD are at greatest risk for having cirrhosis.

Novel Antisense Drug Shows Promise in Slowing Fatty Liver Disease
A first-in-class clinical trial suggests a novel treatment measurably slowed progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to its more progressive and deadly form.
Researchers Identify Potential Early Biomarker to Track Development of Dangerous Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Fatty liver disease not associated with alcohol consumption, which is called Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease or NAFLD, affects more than one billion people worldwide. Even in children the numbers are overwhelming, with up to 80 percent of pediatric patients who are considered obese affected worldwide. People with NAFLD can progress to a severe form known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which puts patients at higher risk for cirrhosis or liver cancer.
AASLD Releases Clinical Insight Guide for Treating Patients with Liver Disease and COVID-19
The American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) has released a clinical insight document for clinicians and frontline healthcare providers who are treating patients with liver disease during the COVID-19 pandemic. The document, which cites recent studies conducted in China, assesses how hepatologists and liver transplant physicians/surgeons and their patients may be affected by the COVID-19 virus (also known as SARS-CoV-2) and provides continued guidance on clinical approaches to disease management.
New bile discovery will rewrite textbooks
Forget what you know about bile because that’s about to change, thanks to a new discovery made by Michigan State University and published in the current issue of Nature. Much of our knowledge about bile hasn’t changed in many decades. It’s produced in the liver, stored in our gall bladder and injected into our intestine when we eat, where it breaks down fats in our gut.
Too Much of a Good Thing May Lead to Too Much of a Liver As Well
UC San Diego researchers suggest that prolonged exposure to a pair of antioxidant proteins may contribute to enlargement of the liver and fatty liver diseases.

UCLA researchers find new method for measuring treatment of rare liver disease in children
Study examines the role of small molecule in children with a rare liver disease

Study: Two Enzymes Control Liver Damage in NASH
After identifying a molecular pathway that allows nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to progress into liver cell death, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers were able to use these pathways to halt further liver damage.
Choosing Common Pain Relievers: It’s Complicated
About 29 million Americans use over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat pain. Every year in the U.S., NSAID use is attributed to approximately 100,000 hospitalizations and 17,000 deaths. All of these drugs have benefits and risks, but deciding which one to use is complicated for health care providers and their patients. To assist in clinical decision-making, researchers address cardiovascular risks and beyond, which include gastrointestinal and kidney side effects of pain relievers.
Liver Fibrosis “Off Switch” Discovered in Mice
UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers identified several genetic switches, or transcription factors, that determine whether or not liver cells produce collagen — providing a new therapeutic target for liver fibrosis.

Two UC San Diego Researchers Elected AAAS Fellows
Two researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine—Pamela L. Mellon and Aleem Siddiqui—have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the largest general science organization in the world and publisher of the journal Science.
Matthew R. D’Uva to Join AASLD as CEO
The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) has appointed Matthew R. D’Uva, FASAE, CAE, as its new chief executive officer, effective January 21, 2020.
Innovative Machine Learning Tool Predicts Who Might Have Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis
Data from a new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting® – held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases – found that a machine-learning tool could successfully predict the risk of having non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) among patients with co-existing diseases.

Study Shows Artificial Intelligence Can Detect Language Problems Tied to Liver Failure
Natural language processing, the technology that lets computers read, decipher, understand and make sense of human language, is the driving force behind internet search engines, email filters, digital assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri, and language-to-language translation apps. Now, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have given this technology a new job as a clinical detective, diagnosing the early and subtle signs of language-associated cognitive impairments in patients with failing livers.
AASLD Foundation Invests $3.42 Million in Liver Disease Research and Career Development
Alexandria, VA – The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Foundation, the largest private supporter of liver disease research and training in the United States, today announced its investment of $3.42 million in Research and Career Development…