The hemodynamic changes in Fontan circulation (the palliative intervention in single ventricle physiology) confer risk of liver complications, particularly congestive hepatopathy. This program will include descriptions of the hepatopathy, the pathobiology of Fontan associated liver fibrosis, available diagnostic tools including imaging techniques and transplant-related medical decision making in the context of a failing Fontan.Veena Venkat Angela Lorts Elizabeth Rand Jonathan Dillman Vijay Shah John Magee

This program will detail recent advances in the understanding of genetic and epigenetic alterations that influence NAFLD and its progression. It will emphasize their impact on the natural history of NAFLD and variability in clinical outcomes. Details on how patient based epigenetic association studies have led to novel insights into disease pathogenesis will be outlined with an emphasis on how this may translate to new therapeutics.

Bacterial infections are common in patients with advanced cirrhosis — partly related to altered microbiota, partly related to increased bacterial translocation across the gut wall and partly related to compromised immune function of these patients. When bacterial infection occurs, the heightened inflammatory reaction that follows predisposes these patients to altered hemodynamics and direct tissue damage. Therefore, these patients are prone to develop organ failure and ACLF when bacterial infection occurs.

There has been no new drug class in the treatment of portal hypertension in over 25 years. But recent advancements in our understanding of the pathophysiology of portal hypertension and its potential regression have informed development of oninvasive biomarkers and revealed exciting new targets for therapy.

This program discusses different, yet related, basic molecular mechanisms of hepatic damage and inflammation fundamental for the development of various types of liver diseases. Discussions will cover the mechanisms for vesicle formation and  endocytosis, how secretion of exosomes occurs upon inflammasome activation, the impact of immune cell-derived vesicles on fibrosis and the process of collagen secretion. The second part of the program focuses on novel signaling pathways  involved in disease resolution.

Haoyu Sun, Qiang Huang, Mei Huang, Hao Wen, Renyong Lin, Meijuan Zheng, Kun Qu, Kun Li, Haiming Wei, Weihua Xiao, Rui Sun, Zhigang Tian, Cheng Sun – 8 November 2018 – Immune checkpoint blockade has become a promising therapeutic approach to reverse immune cell exhaustion. Coinhibitory CD96 and T‐cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT), together with costimulatory CD226, bind to common ligand CD155. The balancing between three receptors fine‐tunes immune responses against tumors.

8 November 2018

8 November 2018

8 November 2018

8 November 2018