Reiichi Higashiyama, Yutaka Inagaki, Yun Yu Hong, Miwa Kushida, Sachie Nakao, Maki Niioka, Tetsu Watanabe, Hideyuki Okano, Yumi Matsuzaki, Goshi Shiota, Isao Okazaki – 22 December 2006 – Liver fibrosis is usually progressive, but it can occasionally be reversible if the causative agents are adequately removed or if patients are treated effectively. However, molecular mechanisms responsible for this reversibility of liver fibrosis have been poorly understood.

Nisha Chand, Arun J. Sanyal – 22 December 2006

Esther Lukasiewicz, Kristoffer Hellstrand, Johan Westin, Carlo Ferrari, Avidan U. Neumann, Jean‐michel Pawlotsky, Solko W. Schalm, Stefan Zeuzem, Bart J. Veldt, Bettina E. Hansen, Elke Verhey‐hart, Martin Lagging – 22 December 2006

Natalia A. Osna, Ronda L. White, Sandra Todero, Benita L. Mc Vicker, Geoffrey M. Thiele, Dahn L. Clemens, Dean J. Tuma, Terrence M. Donohue – 22 December 2006 – Processing of peptides for antigen presentation is catalyzed by antigen‐trimming enzymes, including the proteasome and leucine aminopeptidase. Oxidative stress suppresses proteasome function. We hypothesized that in liver cells, processing of antigenic peptides is altered by ethanol metabolism.

Gary P. Jeffrey, Gerry MacQuillan, Fern Chua, Sam Galhenage, Judith Bull, Emma Young, Gary Hulse, George O'Neil – 22 December 2006 – The effectiveness of HCV antiviral therapy in patients who have undergone recent drug dependency treatment and continue to inject drugs sporadically is presently not clear. Patients attending a community‐based drug rehabilitation and naltrexone implant clinic from October 2002 until March 2005 were screened for HCV infection and if positive offered further assessment and treatment with interferon and ribavirin therapy.

Masaru Harada, Pavel Strnad, Evelyn Z. Resurreccion, Nam‐On Ku, M. Bishr Omary – 22 December 2006 – Several human liver diseases are associated with formation of Mallory body (MB) inclusions. These hepatocyte cytoplasmic deposits are composed primarily of hyperphosphorylated keratins 8 and 18 (K8/K18). Feeding a 3,5‐diethoxycarbonyl‐1,4‐dihydrocollidine (DDC)‐containing diet is a well‐established mouse model of MBs. K8 overexpression, and K8‐null or K18‐null mouse models, indicate that a K8‐greater‐than‐K18 expression ratio is critical for MB formation.

Keith D. Lindor – 22 December 2006

Elizabeth Milward, Daniel Johnstone, Debbie Trinder, Grant Ramm, John Olynyk – 22 December 2006

Sandrine Boyault, David S. Rickman, Aurélien de Reyniès, Charles Balabaud, Sandra Rebouissou, Emmanuelle Jeannot, Aurélie Hérault, Jean Saric, Jacques Belghiti, Dominique Franco, Paulette Bioulac‐Sage, Pierre Laurent‐Puig, Jessica Zucman‐Rossi – 22 December 2006 – Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors that differ in risk factors and genetic alterations. We further investigated transcriptome‐genotype‐phenotype correlations in HCC.

Gerhild Becker, Hans‐Peter Allgaier, Manfred Olschewski, Andreas Zähringer, Hubert Erich Blum – 22 December 2006 – Although numerous treatment modalities have been explored in patients with advanced HCC, the therapeutic options are still limited. Somatostatin has been shown to have antimitotic activity in endocrine as well as in a variety of nonendocrine tumors. Expression of somatostatin receptors is found in HCCs, but the efficacy of the somatostatin analogue octreotide remains controversial.