Harry L. A. Janssen, Frank W. G. Leebeek – 28 November 2006

Adrian Reuben – 28 November 2006

Elwyn Elias – 28 November 2006

Brian D. Juran, Konstantinos N. Lazaridis – 28 November 2006 – The concept of genetic susceptibility in the contribution to human disease is not new. What is new is the emerging ability of the field of genomics to detect, assess, and interpret genetic variation in the study of susceptibility to development of disease. Deciphering the human genome sequence and the publication of the human haplotype map are key elements of this effort.

Jeonghoon Heo, Valentina M. Factor, Tania Uren, Yasushi Takahama, Ju‐Seog Lee, Marian Major, Stephen M. Feinstone, Snorri S. Thorgeirsson – 28 November 2006 – We established an efficient system for differentiation, expansion and isolation of hepatic progenitor cells from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and evaluated their capacity to repopulate injured liver.

Laurie DeLeve – 28 November 2006

David E. Smart, Karen Green, Fiona Oakley, Jonathan B. Weitzman, Moshe Yaniv, Gary Reynolds, Jelena Mann, Harry Millward‐Sadler, Derek A. Mann – 28 November 2006 – JunD is implicated in the regulation of hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and liver fibrosis via its transcriptional regulation of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases‐1 (TIMP‐1) gene. In the present study we found in vivo evidence of a role for JunD in fibrogenesis. Expression of JunD was demonstrated in alpha‐SMA‐positive activated HSCs of fibrotic rodents and human livers.

Paolo Angeli, Florence Wong, Hugh Watson, Pere Ginès, CAPPS Investigators – 28 November 2006 – Low serum sodium concentration is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with cirrhosis, but its prevalence and clinical significance is unclear. To evaluate prospectively the prevalence of low serum sodium concentration and the association between serum sodium levels and severity of ascites and complications of cirrhosis, prospective data were collected on 997 consecutive patients from 28 centers in Europe, North and South America, and Asia for a period of 28 days.

Michael J. Krowka, Karen L. Swanson, Robert P. Frantz, Michael D. McGoon, Russell H. Wiesner – 28 November 2006 – Portopulmonary hypertension (POPH) is the elevation of pulmonary artery pressure due to increased resistance to pulmonary blood flow in the setting of portal hypertension. Increased mortality has occurred with attempted liver transplantation in such patients and thus, screening for POPH is advised. We examined the relationship between screening echocardiography and right heart catheterization determinations of pressure, flow, volume, and resistance.

Brigid Joseph, Vinay Kumaran, Ekaterine Berishvili, Kuldeep K. Bhargava, Christopher J. Palestro, Sanjeev Gupta – 28 November 2006 – Disruption of the hepatic endothelial barrier or Kupffer cell function facilitates transplanted cell engraftment in the liver. To determine whether these mechanisms could be activated simultaneously, we studied the effects of monocrotaline, a pyrollizidine alkaloid, with reported toxicity in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and Kupffer cells.