PET PET
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
Become a Friend Donate
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements
PETBioNewsNewsStudy finds genetic link to common form of liver cirrhosis

BioNews

Study finds genetic link to common form of liver cirrhosis

Published 17 October 2012 posted in News and appears in BioNews 600

Author

Julianna Photopoulos

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.

UK scientists have found 15 new genetic regions that may affect a person's risk of developing primary biliary cirrhosis, a chronic form of liver disease...

UK scientists have found 15 new genetic regions that may affect a person's risk of developing primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), a chronic form of liver disease. The research, carried out as part of the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium Three (WTCCC3) project, compared the genomes of 2,500 people with the disease with DNA from more than 7,500 healthy people. The researchers found 22 regions of the genome that differed significantly between healthy people and people with the disease, 15 which had not previously been identified.

Many of these new regions contained genes involved in regulating the immune system. One of these, called the NF-κB pathway, was not previously associated with primary biliary cirrhosis. The pathway is known to play a role in autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and asthma.

'By scrutinising the genes within these regions we were able to identify biological pathways that appear to underpin the disease, thus prioritising these for future research and highlighting their potential for therapeutic intervention', said one of the lead authors Dr Carl Anderson from the UK's Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.

Primary biliary cirrhosis affects about 35 out of every 100,000 adults and there are no proven treatments. People with the disease suffer irritation and swelling of the bile ducts of the liver. This in turn blocks the flow of bile, which aids digestion. The blockage damages liver cells and causes irreparable scarring, known as cirrhosis. Although it is known that primary biliary cirrhosis is an autoimmune disease - where the body attacks its own cells - its underlying biological causes are not well understood.

'The publication of this paper is no routine academic matter for people with primary biliary cirrhosis', said Collette Thain, Chief Executive of the PBC Foundation.

As a sufferer herself, she added: 'For us, it means hope - one step towards understanding how best to treat and cure. It is a testament to the perseverance and ingenuity of all the scientists who worked on this project. But because this was a collaborative project, part funded by the PBC Foundation and directly involving patients, it is also an example of how people with conditions like primary biliary cirrhosis can work together with scientists and physicians to find solutions'.

The WTCCC3, a collaboration of UK scientists and clinicians, uses genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to understand the genetics of several different diseases, including primary biliary cirrhosis, anorexia nervosa, and pre-eclampsia.

The study was published in the journal Nature Genetics.

Related Articles

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
23 March 2018 • 2 minutes read

Mutation that stops heavy drinkers getting cirrhosis discovered

by Dr Barbara Kramarz

A genetic mutation that gives protection from liver cirrhosis, even for heavy drinkers, has been found...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
12 December 2012 • 2 minutes read

Gene mutation for liver disease corrected in human stem cells

by Luciana Strait

Genetics and stem cell research have been combined for the first time to correct a genetic mutation associated with liver disease. This new approach could lead to people with a genetic disease being treated with their own cells....

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
22 October 2010 • 1 minute read

Genetic clue to holding your drink

by Rosemary Paxman and 1 others

Scientists have found a genetic link to how easily people feel the effects of alcohol. The team led by researchers from the University of North Carolina tracked alcohol tolerance to the end of chromosome 10...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
9 June 2009 • 2 minutes read

Iron 'overload' disorder gene link to stroke risk

by Dr Jess Buxton

Common gene mutations responsible for a condition that affects iron absorption are also linked to a three-fold increased risk of stroke, a new Danish study shows. Researchers at the Herlev University Hospital in Copenhagen found that people with two copies of a particular HFE gene mutation...

Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false colour).
CC BY 4.0
Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false-coloured cryogenic scanning electron micrograph).
News
9 June 2009 • 2 minutes read

Stem cell hope for liver damage

by BioNews

A clinical trial using bone marrow stem cells to treat irreversible liver damage has started in Japan, New Scientist magazine reports. Scientists at Yamaguchi University began the trial after showing that bone marrow stem cell transplants can partly reverse serious liver damage in mice. A similar trial using bone marrow...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« UK and US stem cell bank tie up announced

Data-Label The UK's Leading Supplier Of Medical Labels & Asset Labels

RetiringDentist.co.uk The UK's Leading M&A Company.
easyfundraising
amazon

This month in BioNews

  • Popular
  • Recent
13 June 2022 • 2 minutes read

Drop in diversity of blood stem cells leads to old-age health issues

6 July 2022 • 1 minute read

Frozen embryo transfers linked to high blood pressure in pregnancy

5 July 2022 • 1 minute read

Anorexia in pregnancy linked to increased risk of complications

5 July 2022 • 2 minutes read

Pregnancy after breast cancer treatment does not increase risk of recurrence

5 July 2022 • 1 minute read

No difference between fresh and frozen sperm for IUI

4 July 2022 • 2 minutes read

Shorter IVF protocol reduces risk of OHSS

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
PET PET

PET is an independent charity that improves choices for people affected by infertility and genetic conditions.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • BioNews
  • Events
  • Engagement
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us

BioNews

  • News
  • Comment
  • Reviews
  • Elsewhere
  • Topics
  • Glossary
  • Newsletters

Other

  • My Account
  • Subscribe

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856