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Coffee is one of the most beloved beverages around the world, not only for its rich flavor but also for the energizing effect of its caffeine. Interestingly, recent research suggests that coffee might also play a role in reducing the risk of liver disease, adding another potential benefit to its list. The liver is essential for our well-being, tasked with filtering toxins, aiding digestion, and regulating metabolism. Conditions such as hepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cirrhosis comprise what we know as liver disease. These conditions can severely impair the liver’s function over time. Consequently, finding preventative measures against liver disease...

Researchers are investigating the effects ellagic acid, an antioxidant found in some fruits and vegetables, could have on halting and potentially reversing the damage caused by fatty liver disease. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the physiological manifestation of obesity in the liver. The prevalence of NAFLD has increased from 25.24% in 2015 to 29.38% in 2021, and this condition now accounts for 45.8% of all cases of chronic-liver-disease-related deaths worldwide. There currently exists no treatment for the long-term management of NAFLD; however, dietary interventions have been investigated for the treatment of this disease, including several polyphenolic compounds such as...

A drug that targets a protein known as phosphatidylserine boosted the response rate for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving immunotherapy without compromising their safety, according to results of a clinical trial. The findings show the potential benefits of augmenting immunotherapy for this and other forms of cancer. Several years ago, researchers discovered that phosphatidylserine, a fatty substance called a phospholipid sometimes present on the surface of cancer cells, appeared to interact with immune cells to prevent them from attacking tumors. An antibody drug called bavituximab that neutralizes phosphatidylserine showed no effect on tumor response, progression, or survival when administered alone...

A study found that a single dose of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), the vaccine for tuberculosis (TB), reduced liver tumor burden and extended the survival of mice with liver cancer. The study is the first to show the promising effects of the vaccine in treating liver cancer. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer. BCG, the century-old TB vaccine, is considered safe and widely used around the world. BCG is also known to boost the body's immunity. The U.S. FDA has approved it for the treatment of bladder cancer. Yet, the potential effect of BCG in treating...

Ibuprofen works wonders for your headaches, joint pain, muscle aches, and menstrual cramps, so it's probably no surprise that it's the second most common over-the-counter (OTC) drug behind paracetamol (Tylenol), according to a 2023 article https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36876700/ in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. You might get a prescription for ibuprofen if you have rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis to reduce the pain and swelling from these conditions. Ibuprofen might also be used for psoriatic arthritis, arthritis of the spine, and gouty arthritis. Like other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), ibuprofen works by blocking an enzyme that makes prostaglandins that cause...

For patients with embolization-eligible unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC), the addition of durvalumab (D) and bevacizumab (B) to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) improves progression-free survival (PFS), according to a study. Riccardo Lencioni, M.D. and colleagues randomly assigned patients with embolization-eligible uHCC to D + B + TACE, D + TACE, or TACE in a 1:1:1 ratio (204, 207, and 205 patients, respectively). The primary end point was PFS for D + B + TACE versus TACE. The researchers found that PFS was significantly improved for D + B + TACE versus TACE (median, 15.0 versus 8.2 months; hazard ratio, 0.77). Across most...

New research shows that treating rheumatoid arthritis with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) reduced the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, especially in women and men who are 50 years old and younger. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease marked by chronic joint inflammation leading to joint damage and loss of function. It can also affect tissues and organs outside the joints, including the eyes, heart, and lungs. Although not a classic complication of RA, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD or MAFLD), is prevalent among RA patients, affecting about 35% of men and 22% of women. The researchers drew on...

An international randomized controlled trial has reported that the combination therapy of atezolizumab and bevacizumab in the adjuvant setting is safe and effective in reducing cancer recurrence in patients with the primary liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), at high risk for recurrence after curative intent resection or ablation. Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer. Liver resection or ablation, a process that uses heat to destroy tumors, are potentially curative treatment options for HCC. Still, 70 to 80% of patients experience cancer recurrence within five years of receiving these treatments. Currently, there is no recognized standard of care for...

Liver cancer is one of the most deadly types of cancer worldwide. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, which leaves them with few treatment options. Unfortunately, the first-line drugs are not very effective and offer only modest clinical benefits. Over the past few years, scientists have been trying to develop new therapies for HCC by analyzing specific genetic abnormalities. One of the most common mutations in HCC occurs in CTNNB1 gene, which encodes a protein called β-catenin. However, no therapies targeting β-catenin-related pathways have been approved yet. With this goal, the researchers first conducted a screening experiment using...

Resistant starch is a non-digestible fiber that ferments in the large intestine, and consumption of it has previously been shown to have a positive effect on metabolism in animal studies. Now, a four-month randomized controlled trial in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) indicates daily intake of resistant starch can alter gut bacteria composition and lower liver triglycerides and liver enzymes associated with liver injury and inflammation. NAFLD, caused by a buildup of fat in the liver, affects about 30% of the population worldwide. It can lead to severe liver diseases and contribute to other conditions, such as type...

Long-running research into the omega-3 transporter protein Mfsd2a has shown that it plays a key role in a specific mechanism that prevents the liver from storing too much fat from food. This latest study signals the possibility that a dietary supplement could be developed to help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Eating too much fatty food increases the risk of many health problems, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and NAFLD. The excess fat that accumulates in the liver during the onset of NAFLD leads to inflammation and progressive deterioration and scarring, called cirrhosis of the liver. The rate of...

Excessive drinking during the covid-19 pandemic increased alcoholic liver disease deaths so much that the condition killed more Californians than car accidents or breast cancer, a KFF Health News analysis has found. Lockdowns made people feel isolated, depressed, and anxious, leading some to increase their alcohol intake. Alcohol sales rose during the pandemic, with especially large jumps in the consumption of spirits. While this led to a rise in all sorts of alcohol-related deaths, the number of Californians dying from alcoholic liver disease spiked dramatically, with 14,209 deaths between 2020 and 2022, according to provisional data from the Centers for...

Adjuvant therapy with atezolizumab (Tecentriq) and bevacizumab (Avastin) increased recurrence-free survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following surgical resection or ablation, according to the results from the phase III IMbrave050 clinical trial. The mainstays of curative therapies for early-stage HCC include surgical resection and thermal ablation, a treatment that destroys the cancer cells with heat or cold. However, the risk of recurrence reaches 70%–80% five years after resection or ablation with curative intent, said Pierce Chow, FRCS(E), Ph.D. According to the results of an interim analysis conducted after a median follow-up of 17.4 months, the trial met its primary...

People with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may process certain medications less effectively due to significantly decreased levels of an important enzyme, according to a new study. A team of researchers led by Nick Powell, PharmD, and Naga Chalasani, MD, published their findings. Powell said he and his team were building on existing evidence that people with NAFLD may be at risk for altered response to some commonly used medications. "We wanted to see if this could be due to changes in how the liver expresses genes important to handling the metabolism and transport of these medicines in the body,"...

After attempting to purchase a human liver in the Valencian Community, a millionaire Lebanese mayor and his son were sentenced by the Provincial Court of Valencia. The Provincial Court of Valencia sentenced Hatem Akouche, a millionaire of Lebanese origin, to 8 months in prison this Wednesday, March 29. His son also received 18 months, with both men accused of trying to buy a liver in the Valencian Community. The rest of those involved were sentenced to a total of three and a half years in prison for their participation in the plot. The person who was going to receive the...

When parts of the liver are removed, the body can replace the missing tissue. A team of researchers has now discovered that the success of this process depends to a large extent on gut bacteria. The results of the study could help to improve the prognosis after liver surgery in case of liver cancer and other diseases. A healthy gut microbiome consists of many types of bacteria. They play an active role in digestion. Some break down carbohydrates into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), for example. "Liver cells need these fatty acids to grow and divide," says Prof. Klaus-Peter Janssen ....

A study on tri-modality therapy (START-FIT)has found that nearly 50% of patients with inoperable locally advanced liver cancer, can be cured through this innovative approach. Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer globally with more than 900,000 new cases every year and is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality. However, only 30% is eligible for curative treatment, while the rest could solely be managed with non-curative option due to large tumor size, or vascular invasion etc. The research team focused on these 70% inoperable cases and developed a new treatment modality to improve their chance of cure. A...

A study has revealed that caffeine, polyphenols, and other natural products found in coffee may help reduce the severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among overweight people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). NAFLD is a collective term for liver disorders caused by a build-up of fat in the liver. These can lead to liver fibrosis, which can progress to cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer. NAFLD is not the result of excessive alcohol consumption, but is instead often the result of an unhealthy lifestyle with little exercise and a high-calorie diet. Study participants with higher coffee intake...

About 10 percent of patients with psoriasis have a high risk for advanced liver fibrosis, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published online. Tanat Yongpisarn and colleagues examined the prevalence of psoriasis patients who have a high or low risk for advanced liver fibrosis and examined risk factors for liver fibrosis using data from observational studies identified from a systematic literature review. The researchers found that the pooled prevalence was 9.66 percent for patients with psoriasis at high risk for advanced liver fibrosis, while the pooled prevalence was 77.79 percent for patients at low risk for advanced liver fibrosis....

SANTA CRUZ — New details have emerged around organs found mysteriously discarded on Ocean Street last week, though several questions remained unanswered. Santa Cruz resident Ar’Mani McCoy told the Sentinel that on the morning of Dec. 15, she was returning home from a dentist appointment via a stop at Ferrell’s. Along the way, she spotted smeared blood below a heart, lying on the sidewalk. Nearby was a crushed paper cup and a plastic grocery store bag filled with blood and what turned out to have a liver inside. McCoy said her first response was that what she was seeing must...