Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Insights from patient who cleared hepatitis C could lead to vaccine

By studying individuals who spontaneously clear hepatitis C infections, a team of researchers has identified viable vaccine targets for a disease that infects 70 million worldwide with case numbers increasing every year.

Medications

Aspirin cuts liver fat in clinical trial

The most common chronic liver disease—metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)—is characterized by an increased buildup of fat in the liver due to factors such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Oncology & Cancer

Immune evasion tactics of liver cancer cells revealed

A faulty cancer gene helps tumors evade immunity by stopping tumor cells releasing message-containing cargoes called exosomes. These findings, published in eLife, provide what the editors say is fundamental insight into the ...

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Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals; it has a wide range of functions, a few of which are detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion. The liver is necessary for survival; there is currently no way to compensate for the absence of liver function.

This organ plays a major role in metabolism and has a number of functions in the body, including glycogen storage, decomposition of red blood cells, plasma protein synthesis, hormone production, and detoxification. It lies below the diaphragm in the thoracic region of the abdomen. It produces bile, an alkaline compound which aids in digestion, via the emulsification of lipids. It also performs and regulates a wide variety of high-volume biochemical reactions requiring highly specialized tissues, including the synthesis and breakdown of small and complex molecules, many of which are necessary for normal vital functions.

Medical terms related to the liver often start in hepato- or hepatic from the Greek word for liver, hēpar (ήπαρ).

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