Li‐Na Zhang, Tian‐Yan Shi, Xu‐Hua Shi, Li Wang, Yun‐Jiao Yang, Bin Liu, Li‐Xia Gao, Zong‐Wen Shuai, Fang Kong, Hua Chen, Wei Han, Shao‐Mei Han, Yun‐Yun Fei, Quan‐Cai Cui, Qian Wang, Min Shen, Dong Xu, Wen‐Jie Zheng, Yong‐Zhe Li, Wen Zhang, Xuan Zhang, Feng‐Chun Zhang – 13 February 2013 – The biochemical response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in primary biliary cirrhosis is a strong predictor of long‐term outcome and thus facilitates the rapid identification of patients needing new therapeutic approaches.

Mamatha Bhat, Nahum Sonenberg, Gregory J. Gores – 13 February 2013 – The mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway plays a critical role in cellular metabolism, growth, and proliferation and has been evaluated as a target for therapy in various malignancies. The mTOR pathway is a major tumor‐initiating pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma, with up‐regulation seen in up to 50% of tumors. Metformin, which represses mTOR signaling by activating adenosine monophosphate–activated protein kinase, has been shown to decrease liver carcinogenesis in population studies.

Filippo Schepis, Ranka Vukotic, Annalisa Berzigotti, José A. Carrión, Xavier Forns, Juan G. Abraldes, Juan‐Carlos García‐Valdecasas, Miguel Navasa, Juan‐Carlos García‐Pagán, Jaime Bosch – 13 February 2013 – Cirrhosis recurrence is frequent after orthotopic liver transplantation for hepatitis C virus (HCV). Because transplantation causes liver denervation, we hypothesized that the response to propranolol might differ in transplant patients versus nontransplant patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension.

Lloyd Brown, Ahmad Abou Abbass, Shunji Nagai, Vrishali Patil, Marwan Abouljoud, Todd Getzen, Atsushi Yoshida, Marwan Kazimi, Dean Y. Kim – 13 February 2013

Jun Yan, Changjun Tan, Fangming Gu, Jiahao Jiang, Min Xu, Xiuzhen Huang, Zhi Dai, Zheng Wang, Jia Fan, Jian Zhou – 13 February 2013 – Liver transplantation (LT) is one of the curative treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, cancer recurrence and metastasis after LT are common in some HCC patients with high‐risk factors (even in those within the Milan criteria). It remains unclear whether adjuvant therapy with sorafenib inhibits HCC recurrence and metastasis after LT. Therefore, we performed orthotopic LT in an August Irish Copenhagen (ACI) rat model of HCC.

Phillipp Hartmann, Peng Chen, Hui J. Wang, Lirui Wang, Declan F. McCole, Katharina Brandl, Peter Stärkel, Clara Belzer, Claus Hellerbrand, Hidekazu Tsukamoto, Samuel B. Ho, Bernd Schnabl – 13 February 2013 – The intestinal mucus layer protects the epithelium from noxious agents, viruses, and pathogenic bacteria present in the gastrointestinal tract. It is composed of mucins, predominantly mucin (Muc) 2, secreted by goblet cells of the intestine.

Domingo Balderramo, Oriol Sendino, Rosa Miquel, Cristina Rodriguez de Miguel, Josep M. Bordas, Graciela Martinez‐Palli, Maria L. Leoz, Antoni Rimola, Miguel Navasa, Josep Llach, Andrés Cardenas – 12 February 2013 – In this descriptive study, we examined the role of single‐operator cholangioscopy (SOC) in the evaluation of biliary complications after liver transplantation (LT). We prospectively included adult recipients of deceased donor LT who were referred for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography between June 2009 and July 2011.

Mohamed Rela, Venugopal Kota, Vivekanandan Shanmugam, Hemant Vadeyar – 12 February 2013

Hao Yang, Feng Fang, Ruimin Chang, Lianyue Yang – 11 February 2013 – By comparing the expression profiles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in different hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) subtypes, we identified miR‐140‐5p as an HCC‐related miRNA. We found that miR‐140‐5p was significantly decreased in HCC tissues and all of six liver cancer cell lines examined and its expression levels were correlated with multiple nodules, vein invasion, capsular formation, and differentiation, as well as overall and disease‐free survival of HCC.

Arne Dikkers, Jan Freak de Boer, Wijtske Annema, Albert K. Groen, Uwe J.F. Tietge – 11 February 2013 – Biliary lipid secretion plays an important role in gallstone disease and reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). Using Sr‐bI/Abcg5 double knockout mice (dko), the present study investigated the differential contribution of two of the most relevant transporters: adenosine triphosphate (ATP)‐binding cassette subfamily G member 5 and 8 (ABCG5/G8) and scavenger receptor class B type I (SR‐BI) to sterol metabolism and RCT.