Yanyan Zheng, Wen‐ling Chen, Stan G. Louie, T. S. Benedict Yen, Jing‐hsiung James Ou – 22 December 2006 – HBV is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, whether HBV can directly cause HCC or only indirectly via the induction of chronic liver inflammation has been controversial. By using transgenic mice carrying the entire HBV genome as a model, we now demonstrate that HBV by itself is an inefficient carcinogen. However, it can efficiently promote hepatocarcinogenesis initiated by the carcinogen diethylnitrosamine (DEN).

Mladen I. Yovchev, Petar N. Grozdanov, Brigid Joseph, Sanjeev Gupta, Mariana D. Dabeva – 22 December 2006 – Hepatic progenitor/oval cells appear in injured livers when hepatocyte proliferation is impaired. These cells can differentiate into hepatocytes and cholangiocytes and could be useful for cell and gene therapy applications.

Antonio Colecchia, Davide Festi – 22 December 2006

Gudrun Schneider, Teresa C. Paus, Gerd A. Kullak‐Ublick, Peter J. Meier, Thomas F. Wienker, Thomas Lang, Patricia van de Vondel, Tilman Sauerbruch, Christoph Reichel – 22 December 2006 – Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is defined as pruritus and elevated bile acid serum concentrations in late pregnancy. Splicing mutations have been described in the multidrug resistance p‐glycoprotein 3 (MDR3, ABCB4) gene in up to 20% of ICP women. Pedigrees studied were not large enough for linkage analysis.

Andreas Geier, Christian Trautwein – 22 December 2006

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.