Stefan Wieland, Zuzanna Makowska, Benedetta Campana, Diego Calabrese, Michael T. Dill, Josan Chung, Francis V. Chisari, Markus H. Heim – 3 October 2013 – Approximately 50% of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) have ongoing expression of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) in the liver. It is unclear why this endogenous antiviral response is inefficient in eradicating the infection. Several viral escape strategies have been identified in vitro, including inhibition of interferon (IFN) induction and ISG messenger RNA (mRNA) translation.

Jihong Ma, Chunbin Zou, Lida Guo, Danushka S. Seneviratne, Xinping Tan, Yong‐Kook Kwon, Jiyan An, Robert Bowser, Marie C. DeFrances, Reza Zarnegar – 3 October 2013 – Met, the transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), is known to function as a potent antiapoptotic mediator in normal and neoplastic cells. Herein we report that the intracellular cytoplasmic tail of Met has evolved to harbor a tandem pair of caspase‐3 cleavage sites, which bait, trap, and disable the active site of caspase‐3, thereby blocking the execution of apoptosis.

Li Chen, Alyssa Charrier, Yu Zhou, Ruju Chen, Bo Yu, Kitty Agarwal, Hidekazu Tsukamoto, L. James Lee, Michael E. Paulaitis, David R. Brigstock – 3 October 2013 – Connective tissue growth factor (CCN2) drives fibrogenesis in hepatic stellate cells (HSC). Here we show that CCN2 up‐regulation in fibrotic or steatotic livers, or in culture‐activated or ethanol‐treated primary mouse HSC, is associated with a reciprocal down‐regulation of microRNA‐214 (miR‐214).

Mickaël Lesurtel, Dimitri A. Raptis, Emmanuel Melloul, Andrea Schlegel, Christian Oberkofler, Ashraf Mohammad El‐Badry, Annina Weber, Nicolas Mueller, Philipp Dutkowski, Pierre‐Alain Clavien – 3 October 2013 – Platelets play a critical role in liver injury and regeneration. Thrombocytopenia is associated with increases in postoperative complications after partial hepatectomy, but it is unknown whether platelet counts could also predict outcomes after transplantation, a procedure that is often performed in thrombocytopenic patients.

Li Chen, Alyssa Charrier, Yu Zhou, Ruju Chen, Bo Yu, Kitty Agarwal, Hidekazu Tsukamoto, L. James Lee, Michael E. Paulaitis, David R. Brigstock – 3 October 2013 – Connective tissue growth factor (CCN2) drives fibrogenesis in hepatic stellate cells (HSC). Here we show that CCN2 up‐regulation in fibrotic or steatotic livers, or in culture‐activated or ethanol‐treated primary mouse HSC, is associated with a reciprocal down‐regulation of microRNA‐214 (miR‐214).

Jihong Ma, Chunbin Zou, Lida Guo, Danushka S. Seneviratne, Xinping Tan, Yong‐Kook Kwon, Jiyan An, Robert Bowser, Marie C. DeFrances, Reza Zarnegar – 3 October 2013 – Met, the transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), is known to function as a potent antiapoptotic mediator in normal and neoplastic cells. Herein we report that the intracellular cytoplasmic tail of Met has evolved to harbor a tandem pair of caspase‐3 cleavage sites, which bait, trap, and disable the active site of caspase‐3, thereby blocking the execution of apoptosis.

Victor I. Machicao, Maya Balakrishnan, Michael B. Fallon – 2 October 2013 – The association of chronic liver disease with respiratory symptoms and hypoxia is well recognized. Over the last century, three pulmonary complications specific to chronic liver disease have been characterized: hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS), portopulmonary hypertension (POPH), and hepatic hydrothorax (HH). The development of portal hypertension is fundamental in the pathogenesis of each of these disorders.

Isaac T.W. Harley, Traci E. Stankiewicz, Daniel A. Giles, Samir Softic, Leah M. Flick, Monica Cappelletti, Rachel Sheridan, Stavra A. Xanthakos, Kris A. Steinbrecher, R. Balfour Sartor, Rohit Kohli, Christopher L. Karp, Senad Divanovic – 2 October 2013 – Inflammation plays a central pathogenic role in the pernicious metabolic and end‐organ sequelae of obesity. Among these sequelae, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common chronic liver disease in the developed world.

Alphonse E. Sirica, Gregory J. Gores – 2 October 2013

Alphonse E. Sirica, Gregory J. Gores – 2 October 2013