Incidence of Fatty Liver Disease rises as obesity in children increases
Indiana University School of Medicine researchers are taking a closer look at a disease whose incidence is rising as obesity in children increases. Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis, more popularly known as Fatty Liver Disease, occurs in approximately 15% of obese children. Fatty Liver Disease, in which fat accumulates in the liver, while not life threatening in children, can lead to cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, sometimes requiring transplantation by adulthood.
“Until now the only treatment for Fatty Liver Disease has been to offer diet and exercise counseling, but this is often not effective. As part of a national multicenter research network, we are now looking at Vitamin E and at metformin, a drug used to treat Type II diabetes, as possible therapies” said Jean Molleston, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics at IU School of Medicine and director of pediatric gastroenterology at Riley Hospital for Children. Dr. Molleston is the pediatric principal investigator for the IU School of Medicine site of TONIC, an eight-center Phase III study funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, which is investigating treatment options for Fatty Liver Disease in 8 to 17 year olds and is the largest study of its type to date.
Liverpool to trial new pancreatic cancer therapy
Patients in Liverpool are to trial a new therapy for pancreatic cancer – a disease which sees most sufferers die within a year of diagnosis.
One of the 10 most common cancers in the UK, it is among the most difficult to diagnose and treat and kills around 7,000 people each year. There are very few early symptoms so most patients present late and only around 15% are suitable for surgery.
The Phase III TeloVac trial has been designed by the Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Sub-Group of the UK National Cancer Research Institute and will be run by Cancer Research UK’s Liverpool Cancer Trials Unit.
