Wei Sun, Yanquan Zhang, Ka Chun Wong, Ken Liu, Yidong Yang, Bin Wu, Joanna H.M. Tong, Anthony W.H. Chan, Henry L.Y. Chan, Jun Yu – 21 December 2017 – We identified that GATA zinc finger domain containing 1 (GATAD1), a transcriptional factor, was significantly up‐regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through gene amplification. We demonstrated the critical role, molecular mechanisms, and clinical implications of GATAD1 as a novel oncogenic factor in HCC. We found that GATAD1 protein was expressed in 76.6% of primary HCCs (85/111) but silenced in normal liver tissues.

Bo Zheng, Yan‐Jing Zhu, Seogsong Jeong, Hong‐Yang Wang, Lei Chen – 21 December 2017

Do Young Kim, Kwang‐Hyub Han – 21 December 2017

Giuseppe Mazza, Walid Al‐Akkad, Krista Rombouts, Massimo Pinzani – 21 December 2017 – The term “liver tissue engineering” summarizes one of the ultimate goals of modern biotechnology: the possibility of reproducing in total or in part the functions of the liver in order to treat acute or chronic liver disorders and, ultimately, create a fully functional organ to be transplanted or used as an extracorporeal device.

Juhoon So, Mehwish Khaliq, Kimberley Evason, Nikolay Ninov, Benjamin L. Martin, Didier Y.R. Stainier, Donghun Shin – 21 December 2017 – Malformations of the intrahepatic biliary structure cause cholestasis, a liver pathology that corresponds to poor bile flow, which leads to inflammation, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Although the specification of biliary epithelial cells (BECs) that line the bile ducts is fairly well understood, the molecular mechanisms underlying intrahepatic biliary morphogenesis remain largely unknown.

Elisabetta Morello, Salvatore Sutti, Beatrice Foglia, Erica Novo, Stefania Cannito, Claudia Bocca, Martina Rajsky, Stefania Bruzzì, Maria Lorena Abate, Chiara Rosso, Cristina Bozzola, Ezio David, Elisabetta Bugianesi, Emanuele Albano, Maurizio Parola – 21 December 2017 – Mechanisms underlying progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are still incompletely characterized. Hypoxia and hypoxia‐inducible factors (HIFs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic liver diseases, but the actual role of HIF‐2α in the evolution of NAFLD has never been investigated in detail.

Stefan Stender, Eriks Smagris, Bo K. Lauridsen, Klaus F. Kofoed, Børge G. Nordestgaard, Anne Tybjærg‐Hansen, Len A. Pennacchio, Diane E. Dickel, Jonathan C. Cohen, Helen H. Hobbs – 21 December 2017 – Genetic variation at rs4240624 on chromosome 8 is associated with an attenuated signal on hepatic computerized tomography, which has been attributed to changes in hepatic fat. The closest coding gene to rs4240624, PPP1R3B, encodes a protein that promotes hepatic glycogen synthesis.

Giuseppe Mazza, Walid Al‐Akkad, Krista Rombouts, Massimo Pinzani – 21 December 2017 – The term “liver tissue engineering” summarizes one of the ultimate goals of modern biotechnology: the possibility of reproducing in total or in part the functions of the liver in order to treat acute or chronic liver disorders and, ultimately, create a fully functional organ to be transplanted or used as an extracorporeal device.

Matthew Jacob, Rehan Saif, Jayanth Reddy, Noushif Medappil, Sonal Asthana, Rajiv Lochan – 21 December 2017

Hamish Innes, Andrew McAuley, David Goldberg, Sharon J. Hutchinson – 21 December 2017