Xandra Volkmann, Ute Fischer, Matthias J. Bahr, Michael Ott, Frank Lehner, Marion MacFarlane, Gerald M. Cohen, Michael P. Manns, Klaus Schulze‐Osthoff, Heike Bantel – 29 October 2007 – Tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis in tumor cells but not in most normal cells and has therefore been proposed as a promising antitumor agent. Recent experiments suggested that isolated primary human hepatocytes but not monkey liver cells are susceptible to certain TRAIL agonists, raising concerns about the use of TRAIL in cancer treatment.

Naoto Matsuzawa, Toshinari Takamura, Seiichiro Kurita, Hirofumi Misu, Tsuguhito Ota, Hitoshi Ando, Masayoshi Yokoyama, Masao Honda, Yoh Zen, Yasuni Nakanuma, Ken‐ichi Miyamoto, Shuichi Kaneko – 29 October 2007 – Recently, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) was found to be correlated with cardiovascular disease events independently of the metabolic syndrome.

D. Hunter Best, William B. Coleman – 29 October 2007 – Liver regeneration after surgical partial hepatectomy (PH) in retrorsine‐exposed rats is accomplished through the outgrowth and expansion of small hepatocyte‐like progenitor cells (SHPCs). The cells of origin for SHPCs and their tissue niche have not been identified. Nevertheless, some investigators have suggested that SHPCs may represent an intermediate or transitional cell type between oval cells and mature hepatocytes, rather than a distinct progenitor cell population.

Patricia A. DeRusso, Wen Ye, Ross Shepherd, Barbara A. Haber, Benjamin L. Shneider, Peter F. Whitington, Kathleen B. Schwarz, Jorge A. Bezerra, Philip Rosenthal, Saul Karpen, Robert H. Squires, John C. Magee, Patricia R. Robuck, Ronald J. Sokol, Biliary Atresia Research Consortium – 29 October 2007 – Malnutrition is a significant clinical problem in infants with biliary atresia. The natural history of poor growth and its potential association with early transplantation or death in children with biliary atresia was determined.

Teh‐Ia Huo, Han‐Chieh Lin, Shou‐Dong Lee – 29 October 2007

Avnish K. Seth, Bridget K. Gunson, Darius F. Mirza, Geoffrey Haydon – 29 October 2007 – The prevalence, natural history, and implications of reactive thrombocytosis after liver transplantation (LT) are unknown. Prospectively collected data from July 2000 to February 2006 were analyzed. Post–LT thrombocytosis was defined as a platelet count of >450 × 103/μL lasting for >7 days and starting within 8 weeks of transplantation.

Fred T. Lee – 29 October 2007

Richard Saitz – 29 October 2007 – Addiction (e.g., alcohol or drugs) is a chronic disease. Specific behavioral and pharmacological treatments have proven efficacy.

Shih‐Ping Liu, Ying‐Shiuan Li, Yann‐Jang Chen, En‐Pei Chiang, Anna Fen‐Yau Li, Ying‐Hue Lee, Ting‐Fen Tsai, Michael Hsiao, Shiu‐Feng Hwang, Yi‐Ming Arthur Chen – 29 October 2007 – Glycine N‐methyltransferase (GNMT) affects genetic stability by regulating DNA methylation and interacting with environmental carcinogens. To establish a Gnmt knockout mouse model, 2 lambda phage clones containing a mouse Gnmt genome were isolated.

Azuma Watanabe, Ardeshir Hashmi, Dawidson Assis Gomes, Terrence Town, Abdallah Badou, Richard Anthony Flavell, Wajahat Zafar Mehal – 29 October 2007 – Apoptosis of hepatocytes results in the development of liver fibrosis, but the molecular signals mediating this are poorly understood. Degradation and modification of nuclear DNA is a central feature of apoptosis, and DNA from apoptotic mammalian cells is known to activate immune cells via Toll‐like receptor 9 (TLR9). We tested if DNA from apoptotic hepatocytes can induce hepatic stellate cell (HSC) differentiation.