Ana M. Tormos, Alessandro Arduini, Raquel Talens‐Visconti, Ivan del Barco Barrantes, Angel R. Nebreda, Juan Sastre – 29 November 2012 – p38α mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPK) may be essential in the up‐regulation of proinflammatory cytokines and can be activated by transforming growth factor β, tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐1β, and oxidative stress. p38 MAPK activation results in hepatocyte growth arrest, whereas increased proliferation has been considered a hallmark of p38α‐deficient cells.

Jay H. Hoofnagle, Jose Serrano, James E. Knoben, Victor J. Navarro – 29 November 2012

George N. Ioannou, Christopher L. Bryson, Noel S. Weiss, John D. Scott, Edward J. Boyko – 29 November 2012

Kenichi Harada, Junko Hirohara, Yoshiyuki Ueno, Toshiaki Nakano, Yuko Kakuda, Hirohito Tsubouchi, Takafumi Ichida, Yasuni Nakanuma – 29 November 2012 – Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) primarily affects females and is rarely complicated by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although the HCC incidence in PBC patients is low, several characteristics and risk factors associated with its development have been reported. In this study, national data concerning the current status of carcinogenesis in PBC patients in Japan are reviewed.

Thomas Mone, John Heldens, Claus U. Niemann – 29 November 2012

Marina Berenguer, Geoffrey McCaughan – 29 November 2012

Katharine Secunda, Elisa J. Gordon, Min W. Sohn, Laura A. Shinkunas, Lauris C. Kaldjian, Michael D. Voigt, Josh Levitsky – 29 November 2012 – Candidate selection for liver transplantation presents challenging ethical issues that require balancing the principles of justice and utility. The goal of this study was to assess the opinions of US transplant providers regarding the ways in which controversial medical and psychosocial characteristics influence patient eligibility for liver transplantation.

Catiane Tiecher Cusinato, Ana Paula Messa Koetz, Nêmora Tregnago Barcellos, Fernando Herz Wolff – 29 November 2012

Adriana Ordóñez, Erik L. Snapp, Lu Tan, Elena Miranda, Stefan J. Marciniak, David A. Lomas – 29 November 2012 – Point mutants of alpha1‐antitrypsin (α1AT) form ordered polymers that are retained as inclusions within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of hepatocytes in association with neonatal hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. These inclusions cause cell damage and predispose to ER stress in the absence of the classical unfolded protein response (UPR).

Zhiyong Du, Cuifeng Wei, Jiqi Yan, Baosan Han, Mingjun Zhang, Chenghong Peng, Yingbin Liu – 29 November 2012 – Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy can prevent hepatic parenchymal cell loss and promote tissue repair. However, poor MSC engraftment is one of the primary barriers to the effectiveness of cell therapy because culture‐expanded MSCs progressively down‐regulate C‐X‐C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) expression and lose their ability to migrate toward a concentration gradient of stromal cell–derived factor 1a (SDF1a).