Nieuw wapen tegen Hepatitis C-virus
van Florida State wetenschappers
Tijdens tests uitgevoerd op mensen met een
veelbelovend nieuw middel dat het Hepatitis C-virus (HCV) aanpakt zonder het immuunsysteem
uit te schakelen, leken sommige behandelde HCV-soorten resistent te raken tegen het
middel. Daarop heeft een team biologen, chemici en biomedische onderzoekers van de Florida
State University een nieuwe genetische screeningmethode ontwikkeld dat de resistent
geworden HCV-varianten en de mechanismen die op moleculair niveau zorgen dat een HCV-soort
resistent wordt, kan identificeren. Met deze informatie kunnen medicijnontwikkelaars
specifieke behandelingen ontwikkelen waarmee een HCV-variant om de tuin wordt geleid en
niet resistent wordt.
Link
Annelies
Gen tegen bijwerking
DNA-afwijking beschermt tegen bloedarmoede
bij behandeling van hepatitis C
Link
Hepatitis C Virus May Need Help of Enzyme to Cause Liver Disease, Pitt Study
Finds
A key enzyme may explain how hepatitis C infection causes fatty liver – a buildup of
excess fat in the liver, which can lead to life-threatening diseases such as cirrhosis and
liver cancer, report University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and School
of Medicine researchers. The study, published in the July 9 online issue of Hepatology,
shows that an enzyme known to play a major role in lipid production, fatty acid synthase
(FAS), was highly elevated in human liver cells exposed to the hepatitis C virus. While
preliminary, the research suggests that testing for elevated levels of FAS could help
determine which patients with hepatitis C virus may go on to develop more serious,
long-lasting health consequences brought on by fatty liver.
Lees
verder
May hepatic granulomas be part of
the histological spectrum of chronic hepatitis C?
While older large series of patients with hepatic granulomas have found sarcoidosis and
tuberculosis to be the most common causes of hepatic granulomas, recent works have noted
some patients with chronic hepatic C and hepatic granulomas and no other obvious
associations. Today, patients that undergo liver biopsy often have chronic hepatitis C
that is being staged prior to possible anti viral therapy. The age of HIV and
immunosuppression for organ transplants has also made opportunistic infections associated
with hepatic granulomas more likely. A research article to be published on November 7,
2008 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The research team
led by Ned Snyder from the University of Texas medical branch report a retrospective study
of over 4 000 liver biopsies as well as a prospective study of 240 patients with chronic
hepatitis C undergoing routine liver biopsies. They found that the most common association
for hepatic granulomas was chronic hepatitis C. In the prospective study of patients with
stable hepatitis C, almost 1% had hepatic granulomas.
Lees verder
Stem cells from umbilical cord used
in the treatment of hepatic diseases
Researchers of the University of Granada and the University of León (Spain) have proved
that human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells can be an effective alternative to bone
marrow. This work, accepted to be published by the journal Cell Transplantation, means a
significant advance in regenerative hepatic medicine.
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Who will recover spontaneously from
hepatitis C virus infection
An eight-year study led by Dr. Sabine Mihm from from Georg-August-Universität has
investigated 67 spontaneously recovered patients and found that co-infection by hepatitis
B virus is associated with a higher possibility of self recovery. In addition, patients
who self recovered usually have lower levels of HCV antibody. But on the other hand, the
researchers also found that active iv drug users are less likely to self recover.
Lees verder
Treating patients with psychiatric
disorders for hepatitis C
People with severe mental illnesses are far more likely to be infected with hepatitis C
virus compared to the general population.
Lees verder
Grapefruit compound may help combat
hepatitis C infection
A compound that naturally occurs in grapefruit and other citrus fruits may be able to
block the secretion of hepatitis C virus from infected cells, a process required to
maintain chronic infection. A team of researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital
Center for Engineering in Medicine report that the viral secretion required to pass on
infection may be blocked by the common flavonoid naringenin.
Lees verder
New hope for hepatitis C sufferers
Adelaide scientists will lead a $2 million five-year project to develop new vaccines and
explore better treatment options for hepatitis C sufferers.
Lees verder
Interferon as long-term treatment
for hepatitis C not effective, report HALT-C researchers
Use of the drug interferon as a long-term maintenance strategy to slow the progression of
liver disease associated with the hepatitis C virus is ineffective, UT Southwestern
Medical Center researchers and their colleagues from nine other institutions have found in
a multicenter study. Results of the 3½-year study, called the HALT-C (Hepatitis C
Antiviral Long-Term Treatment Against Cirrhosis) Trial, appear in today’s issue of
The New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers found no difference in the rate of
progression of liver disease among patients who received interferon and those who did
not.“It wasn’t that there was an insignificant difference; there was absolutely
no difference whatsoever in the progression to cirrhosis and other disease
complications,” said Dr. William M. Lee, professor of internal medicine at UT
Southwestern and a principal investigator for the study. “It is a negative study but
an important one.”
Lees
verder
Hepatitis C Treatment Reduces the
Virus but Liver Damage Continues
Treating patients who have chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease with long-term
pegylated interferon significantly decreased their liver enzymes, viral levels and liver
inflammation, but the treatment did not slow or prevent the progression of serious liver
disease, a study finds. These findings come from the clinical trial, Hepatitis C Antiviral
Long-Term Treatment Against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) and are reported in the Dec. 4 issue of the
New England Journal of Medicine. HALT-C was funded by the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) with additional support from Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. "The results from HALT- C
show without question that maintenance therapy with peginterferon does not prevent
progression of liver disease among patients who have failed prior treatments," said
James Everhart, M.D., project scientist for HALT-C in the Division of Digestive Diseases
and Nutrition, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK),
the principal sponsor of HALT-C at NIH. "These findings heighten the incentive to
develop more effective drugs for patients with severe liver disease due to hepatitis
C."
Lees verder
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