Oncology & Cancer

Discovery points to new approach to treating liver cancer

A breakthrough in the understanding of the relationship between a naturally occurring enzyme and the liver cancer drug sorafenib could improve the effectiveness of the drug, which currently prolongs the life of liver cancer ...

Oncology & Cancer

Scientists find gene therapy reduces liver cancer in animal model

Researchers at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center have shown that inhibiting a specific protein using gene therapy can shrink hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in mice. Silencing the galectin 1 (Gal1) protein, which is often ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Study links deprivation with risk of dying from sepsis

The most socioeconomically deprived groups in society are nearly twice as likely to die from sepsis within 30 days, researchers from The University of Manchester have found.

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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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