Frailty and sarcopenia are prevalent conditions in liver transplant candidates and have shown to be independent predictor of adverse outcome.Evidence supports their incorporation into clinical practice both as a prognostic factor guiding clinical decision-making, and as a tool to identify candidates for physical and nutritional interventions.The wide heterogeneity of instruments used for sarcopenia and frailty measurement, the absence of a single suitable instrument for sarcopenia and frailty assessment in the outpatient vs inpatient acute-on-chronic clinical scenario and the lack of strong evidence showing a beneficial effect of sarcopenia and frailty improvement on outcomes before and after transplantation are some of the questions that remain unanswered.

To evaluate CYP3A4-mediated drug metabolism and drug-induced toxicity accurately, we generated CYP3A4-knockout (KO) iPS cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells and intestinal epithelial-like cells. By using our model, CYP3A4-mediated drug-induced toxicity and the therapeutic effects of an anti-HCV drug could be predicted.

Our data suggest that exposure to OCA in patients with PBC cirrhosis is associated with a 3.9-fold higher risk of hepatic decompensation compared with a propensity-matched cohort of PBC cirrhosis with similar baseline risk. Large, prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings. Our findings raise concerns about OCA, and we recommend that clinicians be cautious about using this drug, even in patients with well-compensated cirrhosis, until we establish safety from ongoing trials.

CD44 is a novel biomarker for liver fibrosis in congestive liver disease. Inhibition of CD44-mediated signaling prevents liver fibrosis in congestive liver disease.

Next-generation DNA sequencing yielded highly-discriminant methylation markers for CCA. Confirmation of these findings in independent tissues, cytology brushings, and plasma supports further development of DNA methylation to augment diagnosis of CCA.