LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Liver: Liver Center
built 605 days ago
"I was very pleased to read this report about the decline in acute hepatitis infections," said Dr. James Boyer, Chair of the Board of the American Liver Foundation and Director of the Liver Center at the Yale University Medical School. "But this good news must not let us forget the millions of Americans suffering with chronic hepatitis. Without diagnosis and treatment these people are in serious risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer. Much more work needs to be done to combat hepatitis in this country."
Source:
SAN DIEGO, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Idun Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial of IDN-6556 in patients undergoing liver transplantation. IDN-6556 is designed to protect liver cells from excessive programmed cell death... known as apoptosis. The study will evaluate if IDN-6556 can decrease the cellular liver damage that can occur during the transport and transplant periods. In the study, the drug will be administered to the donor liver during transport to the transplant center, as well as to the liver recipient. The study was initiated at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, which is the first of twelve leading transplant hospitals that are expected to participate in the approximately 100 patient clinical trial.
Source:
Mayo researchers examined medical records from 555 patients referred for liver transplant at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville Transplant Center from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2005. A transplant selection committee typically determines patient eligibility for liver transplant using a variety of criteria, including a patient's MELD score. From these 555 patients, 260 were accepted for liver transplant at their first review, and 295 (53 percent) were denied. Among those denied for transplant, 150 (51 percent) were considered too early for liver transplant while the rest were excluded due to other medical conditions and psychosocial issues that affected their eligibility. Patients seeking referral for liver transplant often undergo repeated assessments by selection committees, as their eligibility can change over time or following treatment and/or changes in conditions that led to their initial exclusion.
Source:
Each lobe contains many thousands of units called lobules that are the building blocks of the liver. Lobules are six-sided structures each about 1 mm (0.04 in) across. A tiny vein runs through the center of each lobule and eventually drains into the hepatic vein, which carries blood out of the liver. Hundreds of cubed-shaped liver cells, called hepatocytes, are arranged around the lobule's central vein in a radiating pattern. On the outside surface of each lobule are small veins, ducts, and arteries that carry fluids to and from the lobules. As the liver does its work, nutrients are collected, wastes are removed, and chemical substances are released into the body through these vessels.
Source:
Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. in December announced the initiation of a clinical trial with a novel drug candidate for the treatment of liver disease associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients who have failed the approved standard-of-care treatments. The oral, small-molecule drug candidate, CTS-1027, is being studied as a treatment for the inflammatory damage to the liver resulting from infection by HCV. The drug inhibits the activity of key members of a class of protease enzymes, the matrix metalloproteinases. The double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple-dose trial will last for four weeks, followed by a voluntary open-label period of up to eight additional weeks. The company expects approximately 100 patients to be enrolled at up to 10 medical centers in the United States. Source: PRNewswire 12/20/07
Source:
The need for accurate, real-time cholesterol and liver testing in Accutane patients is underscored by a recent study released by the University of California, San Francisco, and published in the Archives of Dermatology. The study concluded that abnormalities in cholesterol and liver enzymes in Accutane patients are even more prevalent than anticipated. Of the 13,772 patients monitored, all of whom began with normal lipid levels, 44 percent developed high levels of triglycerides, 31 percent developed high cholesterol levels and 11 percent developed abnormal liver tests. These alarming statistics make a strong case for testing in doctors' offices using instrumentation certified by the Cholesterol Reference Method Laboratory Network (CRMLN), the accuracy standard set by the Centers for Disease Control.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Liver Center