Geng Chen, Huaizhi Wang, Liping Chen, Shizhong Yang, Shuguang Wang, Ping Bie, Zhanyu Yang, Jiahong Dong – 29 September 2009

Thomas A. Kerr, Nicholas O. Davidson – 29 September 2009 – Posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression is increasingly recognized as a model for inherited and acquired disease. Recent work has expanded understanding of the range of mechanisms that regulate several of these distinct steps, including messenger RNA (mRNA) splicing, trafficking, and/or stability. Each of these pathways is implicated in disease pathogenesis, and each represents important avenues for therapeutic intervention.

Mara Greenberg, Tami J. Daugherty, Arvand Elihu, Ravi Sharaf, Waldo Concepcion, Maurice Druzin, Carlos O. Esquivel – 29 September 2009 – Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for acute liver failure (ALF) during pregnancy is an uncommon occurrence with variable outcomes. In pregnancy‐related liver failure, prompt diagnosis and immediate delivery are essential for a reversal of the underlying process and for maternal and fetal survival. In rare cases, the reason for ALF during pregnancy is either unknown or irreversible, and thus OLT may be necessary.

Felix C. Popp, Philipp Renner, Elke Eggenhofer, Przemyslaw Slowik, Edward K. Geissler, Pompiliu Piso, Hans J. Schlitt, Marc H. Dahlke – 29 September 2009 – Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising candidate cells for immunomodulation therapy that are currently being tested in the preclinical and clinical setting. MSCs suppress the immune response in a variety of in vitro and disease models and may thus be of benefit for patients suffering from autoimmune disorders or transplant rejection.

Tessa M. van Ginhoven, James R. Mitchell, Marielle Verweij, Jan H. J. Hoeijmakers, Jan N. M. Ijzermans, Ron W. F. de Bruin – 29 September 2009 – Preoperative fasting was introduced in the 19th century to reduce the risk of aspiration pneumonia while patients were under general anesthesia. During the last decades, the value of preoperative fasting has been questioned, and more liberal guidelines have been proposed, such as the use of preoperative carbohydrate‐rich drinks.

Radhakrishna K. Rao – 29 September 2009

Kim R. Bridle, Claudia Popa, Maelle L. Morgan, Amy L. Sobbe, Andrew D. Clouston, Linda M. Fletcher, Darrell H. G. Crawford – 29 September 2009 – Hepatic stellate cell transdifferentiation, epithelial‐mesenchymal cell transition, and the ductular reaction each contribute to the development of hepatic fibrosis in cholestatic liver diseases. Inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin have antifibrotic properties.

Bashar A. Aqel – 29 September 2009

Amalia Gastaldelli, Stephen A. Harrison, Renata Belfort‐Aguilar, Lou Jean Hardies, Bogdan Balas, Steven Schenker, Kenneth Cusi – 28 September 2009 – Pioglitazone treatment improves insulin resistance (IR), glucose metabolism, hepatic steatosis, and necroinflammation in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Because abnormal lipid metabolism/elevated plasma free fatty acids (FFAs) are important to the pathophysiology of NASH, we examined the impact of pioglitazone therapy on adipose tissue insulin resistance (Adipo‐IR) during the treatment of patients with NASH.

Julia Szendroedi, Marek Chmelik, Albrecht Ingo Schmid, Peter Nowotny, Attila Brehm, Martin Krssak, Ewald Moser, Michael Roden – 28 September 2009 – Increased hepatocellular lipids relate to insulin resistance and are typical for individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Steatosis and T2DM have been further associated with impaired muscular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) turnover indicating reduced mitochondrial fitness. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that hepatic energy metabolism could be impaired even in metabolically well‐controlled T2DM.