Monthly Archives: January 2019

Studies have reported a lack of association between improvements in gastric emptying (GE) and upper gastrointestinal (UGI) symptoms with promotility drugs. However, GE test methods were suboptimal in some studies. We assessed improvements in GE and UGI symptoms in patients given promotility agents in studies with optimal or moderate test methods (scintigraphy or breath test, solid meal, >2 hr duration) compared to studies with suboptimal GE test methods. Continue reading →

Little is known about the composition and generation of plasma cell subsets in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and how these associate with outcome. We investigated whether (or how) plasma cells differentiate and function in patients with … Continue reading →

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Cells of most HBV-related HCCs contain HBV DNA fragments that do not encode entire HBV antigens. We investigated whether these integrated HBV DNA fragments encod… Continue reading →

Inhibitors of MET have not produced satisfactory outcomes in trials of patients with liver cancer. We investigated the mechanisms of liver tumor resistance to MET inhibitors in mice. Continue reading →

Diagnostic testing for chronic esophageal disorders rely on histopathology analysis of biopsies or uncomfortable transnasal catheters or wireless pH monitoring, which capture abnormal intraluminal refluxate. We therefore developed a balloon mucosal imp… Continue reading →

Inflammation in the liver provokes fibrosis but inflammation is also important for tumor surveillance. Inhibitors of chemokine pathways, such as CXCL16 and CXCR6 regulation of lymphocyte trafficking, are being tested as anti-fibrotic agents, but their … Continue reading →

Crohn’s disease (CD) is characterized by an imbalance of effector and regulatory T cells in the intestinal mucosa. The efficacy of anti-adhesion therapies led us to investigate whether impaired trafficking of T-regulatory (Treg) cells contributes to … Continue reading →

Alabama resident Andy Bolden spent much of the last five years on the couch, having difficulty doing something many people take for granted — breathing. Thanks to a lung transplant on Nov. 18, 2018, he can breathe normally again. It was a landmark for… Continue reading →

Around two-thirds of patients treated for breast cancer will have had hormone-sensitive tumors and, after their initial treatment, will be advised to undergo hormone therapy for five to 10 years to prevent recurrence. But around half of these patients … Continue reading →