Alejandro Gómez‐Aristizábal, Corey Ng, Joseph Ng, John E. Davies – 29 June 2012 – The inflammatory response to liver injury plays an important role in the onset of liver fibrosis, which may ultimately lead to liver failure. The attenuation of inflammation and hepatocyte rescue are, therefore, of the utmost importance for recovery. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from adult bone marrow have been shown to rescue hepatocyte function. Here we explore a more plentiful source of neonatal MSCs: human umbilical cord perivascular cells (HUCPVCs).

Claudia Cicione, Chiara Degirolamo, Antonio Moschetta – 29 June 2012 – Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) 15/19 and 21 belong to the FGF endocrine subfamily. They present the intriguing characteristic to be transcribed and secreted in certain tissues and to act as hormones. The insulin‐mimetic properties of FGF21 and the regulatory role of FGF15/19 in bile acid and glucose homeostasis endorse these hormones as druggable targets in metabolic disorders.

Manlio Vinciguerra – 28 June 2012

Enrico Galmozzi, Alessio Aghemo, Massimo Colombo – 28 June 2012

German Soriano, Eva Román, Joan Córdoba – 28 June 2012

Jannis Kountouras, Christos Zavos, Georgia Deretzi, Elizabeth Vardaka, Marina Boziki, Emmanouel Gavalas, George Kouklakis, Panagiotis Katsinelos, Ioannis Venizelos, Christina Nikolaidou, Stergios A. Polyzos, Evaggelia Giartza‐Taxidou – 28 June 2012

Janett Fischer, Stephan Böhm, Jacob George, Christoph Sarrazin, Thomas Berg – 28 June 2012

Enrico Galmozzi, Stella De Nicola, Alessio Aghemo, Massimo Colombo – 28 June 2012

Pieter C. van Breugel, Eva I. Robert, Henrik Mueller, Adrien Decorsière, Fabien Zoulim, Olivier Hantz, Michel Strubin – 28 June 2012 – Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor for liver cancer development. HBV encodes the hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein that promotes transcription of the viral episomal DNA genome by the host cell RNA polymerase II. Here we provide evidence that HBx accomplishes this task by a conserved and unusual mechanism.

Deepa T. Patil, Lisa M. Yerian – 27 June 2012 – Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the progressive form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and is the fourth most common indication for liver transplantation. Risk factors for NAFLD can persist and even worsen after liver transplantation. However, the risk and significance of NAFLD recurrence remain unclear. Reported posttransplant NAFLD and NASH recurrence rates vary widely across studies.