Liver disease

A team of scientists has discovered specific strains of gut bacteria can produce high levels of alcohol in the body, playing a role in the onset of liver disease.

A study is building on the association between the liver and Alzheimer’s . Suggesting a correlation between blood-based liver function biomarkers and several neurological signs of Alzheimer’s, the research hypothesizes the disease to have broader metabolic effects in organs other than the brain.

A new study, led by scientists from King’s College London, has discovered a new type of cell in the liver. The research describes the cell as having “stem cell-like properties,” with the potential to regenerate damaged liver cells and treat disease in the organ without the need for a transplant.

What if you could stay healthier without changing your diet? In mouse tests researchers have now found a way to alter the fat metabolism in the liver, reducing the chances of diabetes without changing a high-fat diet.

3D printing organs is going through some teething issues. Now researchers have found a surprisingly simple answer to the complex problem of printing detailed vascular networks, and shown it off with a dramatic model of a breathing lung that passes oxygen into surrounding blood vessels.

In a remarkable proof-of-concept study, scientists from the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have, for the first time, successfully used CRISPR gene-editing technology on mice in utero, to prevent the animals being born with a lethal metabolic disorder.

Researchers have discovered a new way to reduce the risk of diabetes – sugar. Trehalose is a natural sugar that has now been found to deprive the liver of glucose and activate a gene that improves insulin sensitivity and triggers the burning of more fat.

New research is pointing to the liver as a potential culprit in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. It suggests that a compound produced in the liver can confer neurocognitive protections, and when the liver cannot effectively produce those compounds then cognitive deficits can result in the brain.

​A potentially revolutionary breakthrough from the University of Virginia School of Medicine​ reveals how our cells can wrinkle with age, resulting in genes not being expressed properly. And the solution could be a novel cellular anti-wrinkle cream, delivered by custom-built viruses.​

​A study has discovered that a certain type of gut bacteria can migrate from the gut to other parts of the body, triggering autoimmune diseases. The research revealed that certain autoimmune conditions could potentially be treated with an antibiotic or vaccine that attacks the specific bacteria.

​Although it may look like a snake or a large earthworm, the ringed caecilian is actually an amphibian. The South American animal's interesting features go beyond its appearance, however. According to recent research, it may lead us to new treatments for cirrhosis.

Scientists at MIT have developed a new way to carry the CRISPR gene-editing tool to the target genes. Normally the system uses harmless viruses, but patients can develop resistance. The new study has used nanoparticles instead, leading to the best success rate for the technique in adult animals.