Intestinal mucus‐derived nanoparticle–mediated activation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling plays a role in induction of liver natural killer T cell anergy in mice

Zhong‐Bin Deng, Xiaoying Zhuang, Songwen Ju, Xiaoyu Xiang, Jingyao Mu, Qilong Wang, Hong Jiang, Lifeng Zhang, Mitchell Kronenberg, Jun Yan, Donald Miller, Huang‐Ge Zhang – 18 September 2012 – The Wnt/β‐catenin pathway has been known to play a role in induction of immune tolerance, but its role in the induction and maintenance of natural killer T (NKT) cell anergy is unknown. We found that activation of the Wnt pathways in the liver microenvironment is important for induction of NKT cell anergy.

Histone lysine methyltransferase, suppressor of variegation 3‐9 homolog 1, promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression and is negatively regulated by microRNA‐125b

Dorothy Ngo‐Yin Fan, Felice Ho‐Ching Tsang, Aegean Hoi‐Kam Tam, Sandy Leung‐Kuen Au, Carmen Chak‐Lui Wong, Lai Wei, Joyce Man‐Fong Lee, Xianghuo He, Irene Oi‐Lin Ng, Chun‐Ming Wong – 18 September 2012 – Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major liver malignancy. We previously demonstrated that deregulation of epigenetic regulators is a common event in human HCC.

Preserving the morphology and evaluating the quality of liver grafts by hypothermic machine perfusion: A proof‐of‐concept study using discarded human livers

Diethard Monbaliu, Qiang Liu, Louis Libbrecht, Rita De Vos, Katrien Vekemans, Charlotte Debbaut, Olivier Detry, Tania Roskams, Jos van Pelt, Jacques Pirenne – 17 September 2012 – The wider use of livers from expanded criteria donors and donation after circulatory death donors may help to improve access to liver transplantation. A prerequisite for safely using these higher risk livers is the development of objective criteria for assessing their condition before transplantation.

Toll‐like receptor 2 and palmitic acid cooperatively contribute to the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis through inflammasome activation in mice

Kouichi Miura, Ling Yang, Nico van Rooijen, David A. Brenner, Hirohide Ohnishi, Ekihiro Seki – 17 September 2012 – Innate immune signaling associated with Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) is a key pathway involved in the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Here we show that both TLR2 and palmitic acid are required for activation of the inflammasome, interleukin (IL)‐1α, and IL‐1β, resulting in the progression of NASH. Wild‐type (WT) and TLR2−/− mice were fed a choline‐deficient amino acid–defined (CDAA) diet for 22 weeks to induce NASH.

Dating the origin and dispersal of hepatitis B virus infection in humans and primates

Dimitrios Paraskevis, Gkikas Magiorkinis, Emmanouil Magiorkinis, Simon Y.W. Ho, Robert Belshaw, Jean‐Pierre Allain, Angelos Hatzakis – 17 September 2012 – The origin of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in humans and other primates remains largely unresolved. Understanding the origin of HBV is crucial because it provides a framework for studying the burden, and subsequently the evolution, of HBV pathogenicity with respect to changes in human population size and life expectancy.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐B*57:01‐restricted activation of drug‐specific T cells provides the immunological basis for flucloxacillin‐induced liver injury

Manal M. Monshi, Lee Faulkner, Andrew Gibson, Rosalind E. Jenkins, John Farrell, Caroline J. Earnshaw, Ana Alfirevic, Karin Cederbrant, Ann K. Daly, Neil French, Munir Pirmohamed, B. Kevin Park, Dean J. Naisbitt – 17 September 2012 – The role of the adaptive immune system in adverse drug reactions that target the liver has not been defined. For flucloxacillin, a delay in the reaction onset and identification of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐B*57:01 as a susceptibility factor are indicative of an immune pathogenesis.

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