Steatohepatitis/Metabolic Liver Disease News

HistoIndex and the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences jointly launched a center of excellence in India to aid diagnostics and clinical trials for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, according to a press release.

Researchers identified monoallelic ABHD5 mutations as a driver of inheritable nonalcoholic fatty liver disease that manifests after age 40 years, according to data published in Journal of Hepatology.

Lipocine received clearance from the FDA to clinically investigate LPCN 1144 in an expanded target population of men with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, according to a press release.

Stephen A. Harrison, MD, FACP, FAASLD, visiting professor of hepatology at University of Oxford and medical director at Pinnacle Clinical Research, discussed how the growing epidemic of liver disease impacts the financial solvency of the U.S. health care system in a white paper released by Echosens.

Recent study data showed that concomitant chronic hepatitis B and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis were significantly more likely to lead to advanced fibrosis and liver-related outcomes including mortality compared with chronic hepatitis B alone.

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Foundation has granted $3.42 million in research and career development awards to 29 researchers and clinicians to conduct liver disease research and undergo advanced hepatology training.

InSphero AG announced the launch of 3D InSight Human Liver Disease Discovery Platform, a 3D cell technology for development and safety testing of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis drugs, according to a press release.

Many experts consider the rising rates of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis to be nearing “epidemic levels” and, as such, will require increased awareness among both physicians and patients regarding lifestyle intervention and potential new treatments and diagnostics.

Levels of dimethylguanidino valeric acid, a metabolite that was recently determined to be a circulating biomarker of liver fat, correlated with improved lipid traits and insulin sensitivity after study participants underwent endurance exercise training.

Vibration-controlled transient elastography outperformed aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index and Fibrosis-4 index as a noninvasive biomarker for advanced fibrosis in patients with hepatitis B and HIV coinfection, according to a study published in Hepatology.