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HEPATOBILIARY DISEASES
Clinical
Acute hepatic failure is a common cause of morbidity and
mortality. The typical presentation is with encephalopathy
(altered behaviour, progressing to coma) a few days after
apparent recovery from a paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose.
Without a liver transplant, only 15% with coma survive.
N-acetylcysteine and methionine decrease the incidence
of hepatic failure in paracetamol overdose by replenishing
cellular glutathione stores, although there is the need
for additional hepatic protectants.
Chronic hepatitis, in which there
is a chronic inflammatory cell infiltrate, is defined
as any hepatitis lasting over
6 months. It is typically secondary to autoimmune disease,
viral disease or drugs. This in turn may lead to necrosis
of liver cells, followed by fibrosis and nodule formation – the
cirrhotic liver. The commonest cause of cirrhosis in the
Western world is alcoholism.
DanioLabs approach
DanioLabs is currently developing programmes for both acute and
chronic liver disease.
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