LIver

In this photo illustration, the Madrigal Pharmaceuticals logo is displayed on a smartphone screen. Rafael Henrique | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesThe Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first-ever treatment for a common and potentially deadly form of liver disease that affects millions worldwide.The FDA's decision means Madrigal Pharmaceuticals has succeeded in a disease area that several larger companies have failed — or are still trying to break into. Madrigal shares jumped more than 20% in…

A recent study of US veterans found that 10% of those diagnosed with dementia actually had a liver condition called hepatic encephalopathy (HE) – a treatable condition.The liver can be damaged by several things, including alcohol, fatty deposits and hepatitis viruses. When the damage continues over several years, the liver becomes scarred (known as cirrhosis) and, at a certain point, can no longer perform one of its critical tasks: detoxifying the blood. Toxins (mainly ammonia) can build up and get into the brain,…

Deepwater Sharks Are Threatened by Demand for Liver OilOne in seven species of deepwater sharks and rays is threatened with extinction because of the liver oil and meat trade and emerging fishing technologies that make it possible to catch deep-sea fishesBy David ShiffmanA bluntnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus) off Puget Sound. The surging market for shark liver oil, found in products ranging from dietary supplements to cosmetics, is posing a major threat to deepwater shark species—those that dwell in the inky black…

A single injection of the 102-year-old tuberculosis vaccine, BCG, has proven effective at triggering an immune response in mice and shrank their liver cancer tumors, according to research by UC Davis Health. The findings suggest that BCG might be an alternative way of treating this notoriously hard-to-treat cancer.As the most common type of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite treatment options that include surgery, radio- and chemotherapy,…

A nationwide study in Sweden indicates that GLP1 agonists, such as Ozempic, could lower the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer in individuals with type 2 diabetes and chronic liver disease, suggesting a new, effective treatment option for preventing severe liver diseases.A nationwide study conducted by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, published in the journal Gut, indicates that the use of Ozempic and similar GLP1 agonists is linked to a lower likelihood of cirrhosis and liver cancer in individuals with type 2…

An injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug, is displayed in New York City, U.S., December 11, 2023. Brendan McDermid | ReutersEli Lilly on Tuesday said its highly popular drug used for weight loss and diabetes showed promise as a treatment for fatty liver disease in a mid-stage trial. The initial study results add to a long list of potential health benefits of the treatment, known as tirzepatide, besides helping patients shed significant pounds and regulate blood sugar under the drug's brand names,…

According to Greek mythology, Zeus punished Prometheus for giving fire to humans. He chained Prometheus up and set an eagle to feast on his liver. Each night, the liver grew back and each day, the eagle returned for his feast. In reality, can a liver really grow back?The liver is the largest internal organ in the human body. It is needed for hundreds of bodily processes, including breaking down toxins such as alcohol. As it is the first organ to "see" alcohol that has been drunk, it is not surprising that it is the most…

Surgeons externally attached a pig liver to a brain-dead human body and watched it successfully filter blood, a step toward eventually trying the technique in patients with liver failure.The University of Pennsylvania announced the novel experiment Thursday, a different spin on animal-to-human organ transplants. In this case, the pig liver was used outside the donated body, not inside—as a way to create a “bridge” to support failing livers by doing the organ’s blood-cleansing work externally, much like dialysis for…

Just a few miles away in Limpopo, white families lived in big, attractive houses, with easy access to all these things. The older Sefala became, the more she peppered her father with questions about the visible racial segregation of their neighborhood: “Why is it like this?” Now, at 28, she is helping do something about it. Alongside computer scientists Nyalleng Moorosi and Timnit Gebru at the nonprofit Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR), which Gebru set up in 2021, she is deploying computer vision tools and…

“There is always curiosity. Everyone takes a meeting,” says Curtis. “They do view it as the future, but is it next year, or 100 years from now?” “With a heart transplant, you are really swinging for the fence,” he says. “Whereas with extracorporeal, it’s a little more like how products usually get developed. You can try for steady improvements.” This is the first time an organ from one of the eGenesis pigs has been tried with a human, but Curtis says eGenesis is ready to apply for permission to start a formal trial of…