A promising Hepatitis C vaccine can protect communities worldwide (Photo Credit: Creative Commons)

Years of toil may just soon pay off as scientists uncover the most promising vaccine for hepatitis C virus (HCV) thus far. The National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, India has developed a recombinant vaccine that builds up immunity against HCV as shown in laboratory animal testing.

Hepatitis C is a threatening liver disease infecting more than 170 million worldwide. The virus spreads to the blood, rapidly leading patients to chronic conditions of liver damage and liver cancer. Every year, about 350,000 people die of liver cancer and other related diseases including Hepatitis C. Recently, China experienced a Hepatitis C outbreak, affecting more than 150 residents in a rural village, most of those affected are children. The outbreak is believed to have been caused by the use of unsterile medical supplies in a local medical clinic.

For years, Hepatitis C has left scientists in a daze because of its complexity. HCV is very similar in some ways to the HIV virus with its nature to regularly change while within its host, thereby making it difficult to develop an exact type of vaccine.

The unpredictable threat that Hepatitis C poses, especially to vulnerable communities like that village in rural China, has inspired fortified global efforts to prevent and cure this disease. In fact, NIV research was launched in 2007 to address the troubling rate of Hepatitis C and general liver disease infection in India. The progress of the vaccine research has stirred an excitement.  How exciting to finally be able have a vaccine effective at controlling  HCV.

The vaccine is a product of rigorous genetic engineering of a recombinant protein and peptide;  a cellular entity produced after a genetic recombination. In a laboratory setting, mice have shown significant improvement in their immunity after exposure to the new vaccine. The next step for the research is to evaluate the effect of the vaccine on chimpanzees, and eventually on human liver cells.

With the entire world counting on the success of this research, the pressure is on – but the greater goal of making communities safe from Hepatitis C serves as an enduring motivation.

By Toni Bacala

Think twice before popping those pills

Everyone loves a quick fix. Quick fixes aren’t always the best fix—sadly.  Just how much of a quick fix is safe for us, especially for our livers?  Well, researchers at Edinburg University have attempted to answer this question.

Regular intake of pills in frequent and uncontrolled dosages could be seriously damaging our livers, according to the recent Edinburgh study. Tablets such as paracetamol, (OTC aspirin-free pain relievers commonly known as acetaminophen) which most people have in their daily survival kit, could lead to a life-threatening condition over a period of time if misused or abused.

Many people look to the promise of comfort by downing a pill, but may not realize the possible health dangers this might pose in the future. The danger of overdosing from pain relievers, especially those formulated to ease chronic pain, has become a growing concern because most people do not recognize the warning signs of overuse and taking these pills is so commonplace in our culture.

Cases of overdose have often been missed by doctors because medical procedures such as blood tests normally do not show high or staggering levels of paracetamol.  In order to determine an unusually high level of the chemical in your system, doctors generally need to run tests for conventional drug overdoses given to people who, for example, swallowed a number of pills at once. Diagnosing this contraindicated overuse of ordinary pain relievers is not common practice.

About 161 cases of what researchers call a “staggered overdose” have been reported in the last six years. What makes this condition perilous is that it is most likely can lead to liver, kidney or brain damage. The Edinburg University research asserts that these patients may soon find themselves in great danger from complications of organ dysfunction.

Efforts are being concerted to develop drugs that will function just as effectively, but without any toxic consequence. In the mean time, researchers urge people to break away from their dependence on tablet pain relievers, and explore alternative ways to relieve pain. Understanding the root cause of your pain, rather than merely masking your symptoms is a healthier holistic approach to pain management that could actually IMPROVE your health.  Lastly, remember to always read your labels and not to exceed the recommended dosage of your tablets.  After all, no quick fix is worth putting yourself at risk of a fatal end.

By Toni Bacala

Joe Frazier's courageous battle serves as an inspiration to advocacies against cancer (Photo Credit: Creative Commons)

Even the great Muhammad Ali had to struggle to put down “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier, one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in boxing history.  Frazier’s recent loss to liver cancer, shows however,  that even the heaviest left hook can be feeble against this silent killer.

Frazier had become a respected boxing icon, not only for being the first fighter to beat Ali, but more so for his enduring integrity in the world of boxing. His triumph over Ali in the 1971 “Fight of the Century” at the Madison Square Garden was edified as one of the most celebrated boxing matches, exceeded only by the pair’s last bout, dubbed the “Thrilla in Manila” in 1975.

Frazier’s career testifies to his remarkable professional endurance. The numbers say it all – an impressive 32-to-4 win-loss record.  But Frazier’s boxing career did not only mean battling against the top fighters,  it also meant confronting personal attacks and public racial slurs.

Frazier’s final blow came from liver cancer.  He was diagnosed September 2011.  For six weeks he had been in and out of hospice care with no signs of improvement in his condition.

Frazier’s sudden passing is very much reminiscent of Al’s, who, like Frazier, was diagnosed of liver cancer a mere six weeks before his death in 2008.

Liver cancer presents silent symptoms, making it extremely difficult to detect in its early stage.  Awareness of liver cancer, hepatitis screening and vaccination are our best defenses while experts around the world develop better ways to diagnose and treat liver cancer.

“The world has lost a great champion,” said Ali upon Frazier’s death last Monday echoing the sentiment of many. While Frazier has motivated athletes for decades, may he also inspire us towards a stronger, more informed, and more dynamic advocacy against liver cancer.

By Toni Bacala

A push of a button may just be what it would take to reduce the physical and emotional pains of liver cancer. At the University of Alabama (UAB), researchers rejoice at the promising potential of a new device that shrinks tumors with minor side effects and significantly less painful as other treatments

Liver cancer remains to be among the most expeditious forms of cancer in the US. While patients have the best chances of surviving through liver transplant, there are only a handful of healthy livers available for this procedure each year. Another treatment that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration is the drug called Sorafenid, which, while effective, has been reported to cause severe discomfort to patients. These scenarios prompt the necessity of more viable options for a large number of liver cancer patients.

Leading this effort are the researchers in the Hematology and Oncology Division of the Department of Medicine in UAB. The team has developed “radio frequency electromagnetic field generator,” a spoon-like battery-operated apparatus that emits minute levels of electromagnetic fields. Once placed in the mouth of a patient, a button is pushed to start the treatment program, sending safe, amplitude-modulated amounts of radio frequency to the body. These tumor-specific frequencies target cancer cells in the body, blocking their growth while not affecting that of the surrounding normal cells.

In the report published in the online British Journal of Cancer last August 2011¸ it was noted that majority of the patients experienced either reduced or complete loss of pain.

Another promising aspect is that the treatment was evinced to not only minimize the development of the primary cancer, but also prevent its spread to other organs in the body.

This technology will be particularly beneficial to patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a liver disease that does not respond favorably to chemotherapy.  Researchers are enthusiastic of the FDA’s approval of the device, and its application to other forms of cancer.

-Toni Bacala

Human Genes may hold answers to liver cancer Photo Credit: Creative Commons

The human genome houses a complex network, a recent study of the genome claims to contain answers to treating liver cancer. By identifying specific human genetic codes involved in liver function, researchers are unraveling key dynamics of the human liver that may provide new ways to prevent and cure liver diseases.

In a massive research project led by Imperial College London, 61,000 participants joined in one of the largest studies ever conducted on human genes and the liver. The project was designed to locate the regions in the genes that are responsible for processes in the liver. Researchers successfully identified 32 new regions in the genes that regulate proper liver function.

Professor Paul Elliot, a senior author of this research, explained how liver problems affect a considerable number of the world’s population, causing devastating effects on their quality of life. The discovery of these new genetic regions opens a whole new dimension to better understand the liver, and ultimately, to develop treatments for various liver diseases.

The researchers used a genome-wide association framework to evaluate the different components and structures of the participants’ genes. They also looked at the concentration of liver enzymes in the blood collected, which could indicate if the subject is at risk to a certain disease. For example, a high enzyme concentration could be a symptom of cardiovascular conditions, diabetes or liver diseases such as cirrhosis. Cross-checking these genetic and blood data aided researchers in locating regions involved in liver function.

The study was also able to determine 69 genes engaged in liver function that also play significant roles in ensuring the body’s immunity and metabolism. Such breakthrough in liver research is an important leap towards understanding the interplay of genetics and organ function. More importantly, it provides new avenues towards finding solutions for livers that no longer function properly, and making these treatments immediately available to the millions who are suffering from liver cancer.

In 2010, over 16, 0000 names were queued for liver transplant in the US, but less than fifty percent of these cases were addressed. As the need for liver transplant escalates, researchers look to the potential of “marginal” livers to expand the dwindling supply for organ donation.

“Marginal” livers are those damaged by diseases such as bile build-up or cholestasis. Researchers have considered the use of these organs by treating the marginal liver with a substance that enables it to function normally after a transplant.

The use of damaged livers involves great risks, particularly that the liver will fail after it is attached to the recipient’s blood supply. However, with the use of a hedgehog-signaling inhibitor, researchers found evidence on the successful use of marginal livers in transplants.
In the recent report in Molecular Pharmaceutics published by the American Chemical Society, the substance called “cyclopamine” provides “hope for marginal livers.”

When applied to marginal livers, cyclopamine was found to inhibit any injury to the liver after its blood supply is severed and returned. This process of organ transplant performed in experimental rats also yielded positive indication that the chemical properties of the compound can improve the outcome of the procedure.

The medical benefits of cyclopamine have been known for some time. The Infinity Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge in Massachusetts have been extracting cyclopamine from the roots of the plant Veratrum californicum, or more commonly known as corn lily, skunk cabbage and cow cabbage. Researchers at Infinity believe that the compound may be used in developing treatment against certain diseases including brain, pancreatic and skin cancer.

While cyclopamine inhibits further damage on marginal livers, this obstructive property also proves to be useful in controlling tumor growth. Human tissues and organs development during the course called the hedgehog pathway. Cyclopamine has been found to affect this process by inhibiting cell reproduction. Applied to cancerous cells, cyclopamine blocks the hedgehog pathway, thereby inhibiting cancer cells from increasing. Indeed, this chemical holds promising answers to pressing medical questions.

-Toni Bacala