LIver

In an exciting step forward in surgery advances, the first liver transplant performed by a robot has successfully taken place in the US, as clinics plan to ramp up wider use of this innovative procedure.The man in his 60s, who required a critical transplant due to liver cancer and cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C, underwent surgery performed by the advanced machinery while the head surgeon controlled the robot’s movements from a console nearby.“The transplant was a success: The operation went smoothly, the new liver…

On the rare occasion that a patient's heart and liver are both swapped for a second-hand set from an organ donor, it's because something has gone critically wrong with each.While 31-year-old Washington state resident Adriana Rodriguez met all of the requirements for a heart transplant, her liver was humming along just fine. Nonetheless, surgeons swapped it out in a two-for-one deal in a historic first.A team of medical researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine in the US made the landmark decision…

A 31-year-old woman desperately needed a heart transplant to save her life, but doctors knew her body would reject the organ. So they took an unusual approach: they also replaced her healthy liver. The procedure was a groundbreaking success.Two weeks after Adriana Rodriguez from Bellingham, Washington gave birth to her third child, she suffered a tear in her coronary artery – known in medical terms as a dissection. These dissections are thought to be brought on by stress and hormonal changes during pregnancy, and they…

The first year of the covid-19 pandemic helped fuel a spike of boozy liver injuries in the U.S., recent research suggests. The study found a jump in reported hospitalizations from alcohol-related hepatitis across the U.S. in 2020—even above the steady increases seen in past years. Deaths from these injuries substantially increased in 2020 as well.Teyonah Parris and John Boyega on Working With Jamie Foxx | io9 InterviewThe pandemic caused plenty of upheaval in our lives, especially early on. One of the more apparent…

Around 2 percent of adults worldwide suffer from a condition called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (Nash), an advanced form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This occurs when fat builds up in the liver, causing inflammation and scarring.Without treatment it can eventually lead to liver cirrhosis – and it can also increase the risk of other serious health conditions, such as heart disease.There is currently no medication to treat Nash. Since excess fat in the liver is what causes the inflammation and scarring that is…

UC San Diego scientists find the protein ATF4 prevents liver damage and its progression to cancer by blocking ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of liver cell death. Credit: UC San Diego Health SciencesScientists at UC San Diego have discovered that a protein previously linked to liver cancer may, in fact, be the key to protecting against the disease.Liver cancer is the sixth most prevalent form of cancer and the third leading contributor to cancer fatalities across the globe. It primarily arises from an interplay of…

A culture of mini livers. Dutch scientists have used organoid models and CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing to understand the biology and genetic basis of fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC), a rare childhood liver cancer. Their research reveals that different genetic mutations lead to varying tumor aggressiveness and identified hepatocytes as the probable cell-of-origin. The findings could guide future therapies for FLC. Credit: Benedetta Artegiani / Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncologyScientists of the Princess Máxima Center…

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a serious liver disease that occurs when fat accumulates in the liver, leading to inflammation and scarring. It is a type of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and is often associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol levels. Symptoms of NASH may not be present in the early stages, but as the disease progresses, it can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and even liver cancer.Millions of people are affected by nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is a…

Researchers analyzed the relationship between meals rated by the 12-component modified Japanese Diet Index (mJDI12), muscle mass, and liver fibrosis progression in 136 patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) attending the Osaka Metropolitan University Hospital.It is also important to consume soy products, seafood, and seaweed.Japanese cuisine has gained worldwide popularity and has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. The “12-component modified Japanese Diet Index (mJDI12)” is a…

Liver cancer is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease that originates in the liver, one of the body’s most vital organs. Responsible for over 700,000 deaths annually worldwide, this malignancy often results from pre-existing liver conditions such as cirrhosis or hepatitis.Findings from experiments on cells and mice could lead to the creation of a new class of anticancer drugs.Researchers from the National Institutes of Health and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have discovered a promising new…