Kimberly Struble, Kirk Chan‐Tack, Karen Qi, Lisa K. Naeger, Debra Birnkrant – 23 October 2017 – On July 18, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir (SOF/VEL/VOX) (Vosevi) fixed‐dose combination (FDC), an interferon‐free, complete regimen for adult patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis (Child‐Pugh A) who have:

Eunkyong Ko, Hyun‐Wook Seo, Guhung Jung – 23 October 2017 – Telomeres protect chromosomal ends from deterioration and have been shown to be susceptible to shortening by reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐induced damage. ROS levels increase during the progression from early to advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). An independent study found that the telomeres in most HCC tissues lengthened during carcinogenic advancement.

Qingyu Shen, Jung Woo Eun, Kyungbun Lee, Hyung Seok Kim, Hee Doo Yang, Sang Yean Kim, Eun Kyung Lee, Taemook Kim, Keunsoo Kang, Seongchan Kim, Dal‐Hee Min, Soon‐Nam Oh, Young‐Joon Lee, Hyuk Moon, Simon Weonsang Ro, Won Sang Park, Jung Young Lee, Suk Woo Nam – 23 October 2017 – An accurate tool enabling early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is clinically important, given that early detection of HCC markedly improves survival. We aimed to investigate the molecular markers underlying early progression of HCC that can be detected in precancerous lesions.

As the U.S. continues to face disparities in organ allocation — due to an imbalance of supply and demand — patients who are on the waitlist for liver transplantation are increasingly at risk. This session will discuss the importance of geographic disparities in liver transplantation as well as various strategies proposed to address this critical issue in healthcare.Julie Heimbach Julie K.

This program will provide evidence-based and practical updates for three common and/or difficult-to-manage conditions: (1) how to select patients with the lowest likelihood of recidivism for liver transplant listing, (2) how to evaluate and manage acute and chronic venous outflow disorders; and (3) how to diagnose, evaluate and involve a multidisciplinary team in the management of patients with acute liver failure.Michael R.

This comprehensive program has been designed to improve the treatment and management of patients with liver disease. By highlighting current data to support effective and efficient patient-centered care, attendees will have the ability to utilize medical knowledge and research to provide quality evidence-based practice.

Recently there is an increased interest and effort in targeting novel pathways to treat cholestatic liver diseases.  Up-to-date science is needed on the new therapeutic targets and the early experiences (successes and failures) of clinical trials to foster discussion of these various approaches and identify priorities for future clinical trials.

The future is bright for the continued development of novel gene therapy approaches in liver disease. But, a deeper understanding of off-target effects and immune responses generated in host cells by gene carriers is needed to fully realize their potential. This workshop will provide an overview of current and emerging therapeutic gene editing strategies for liver diseases. Speakers will discuss how novel genome editing techniques and designer nucleases offer the ability to carry out sophisticated gene function studies in vivo.

Given recent attention to healthcare reform efforts in the U.S., a greater emphasis is being placed on generating and synthesizing evidence to inform policies affecting the clinical practice of hepatology. In turn, this program will review and teach attendees about the most common research designs and analytic methods associated with the conduct of healthcare delivery research.

Identifying best practices in the difficult management of patients with liver disease in the community outpatient setting is an important topic in clinical hepatology. It is particularly important to look at the approach to patients with non-alcoholic liver disease that are not  candidates for research studies, the management of portal hypertension and portal vein thrombosis, and outpatient intervention and monitoring of patients with cirrhosis and renal insufficiency.