Vincent W. Keng, Barbara R. Tschida, Jason B. Bell, David A. Largaespada – 24 November 2010 – The mechanisms associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV)–induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain elusive, and there are currently no well‐established animal models for studying this disease. Using the Sleeping Beauty transposon as a delivery system, we introduced an oncogenic component of HBV, the hepatitis B virus X (HBx) gene, into the livers of fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (Fah) mutant mice via hydrodynamic tail vein injections.

Yue Wang, Yingjun Guo, Fang Wang, Shuhan Sun – 24 November 2010

Gisa Gerold, Charles M. Rice, Alexander Ploss – 23 November 2010 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV) naturally infects only humans and chimpanzees. The determinants responsible for this narrow species tropism are not well defined. Virus cell entry involves human scavenger receptor class B type I (SR‐BI), CD81, claudin‐1 and occludin. Among these, at least CD81 and occludin are utilized in a highly species‐specific fashion, thus contributing to the narrow host range of HCV.

Alexander J. Thompson, Andrew J. Muir, Mark S. Sulkowski, Keyur Patel, Hans L. Tillmann, Paul J. Clark, Susanna Naggie, Jacques Fellay, Dongliang Ge, Jeanette J. McCarthy, David B. Goldstein, John G. McHutchison – 23 November 2010

23 November 2010

Nicholas A. Shackel – 23 November 2010 – The cell death receptor Fas plays a role in the establishment of fulminant hepatitis, a major cause of drug‐induced liver failure. Fas activation elicits extrinsic apoptotic and hepatoprotective signals; however, the mechanisms by which these signals are integrated during disease are unknown. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 3 (TIMP3) controls the critical sheddase a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17) and may dictate stress signaling.

Christoph Schramm, Christina Weiler‐Normann, Christiane Wiegard, Stefanie Hellweg, Susanne Müller, Ansgar W. Lohse – 23 November 2010

Cumali Efe, Tugrul Purnak, Ersan Ozaslan, Staffan Wahlin – 23 November 2010

Yusuf Yilmaz, Ramazan Kurt, Cem Kalayci – 23 November 2010

Sundararajah Thevananther – 23 November 2010