In cirrhotic patients older age (for HAV) and both male gender

In cirrhotic patients older age (for HAV) and both male gender PF-02341066 in vivo and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (for HBV) are predictors for non-response. Table 1. Immune response to low and high dose regimens   Low dose regimen % immune response High dose regimen % immune response P value Hepatitis A vaccination 87.1 97.3 0.15 Hepatitis B vaccination 60.5 70 X 0.24 Table 2. Factors independently associated with successful immune response   Odds Ratio 95% Cl P value Hepatitis A vaccination Age 0.94 0.88 to 1.0 0.005 Hepatitis B Vaccination Female gender 11 1.04 to

9.15 0.042 NAFLD vs. HCV aetiology 0.13 0.03 to 0.56 0.006 A LIM, C MEWS, D FORBES, A LOPEZ, A DE NARDI, M RAVIKUMARA Department of Gastroenterology, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Western Australia Introduction: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), autoimmune sclerosing cholangitis (ASC) and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) are known extra-intestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The available data on incidence and prevalence in the paediatric population is limited. We this website report the data on the occurrence of PSC,

ASC and AIH in our cohort of children diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease at the sole tertiary paediatric hospital in Western Australia. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed and all patients diagnosed with PSC, ASC and AIH between January 2004 and April 2013 were identified and cross- referenced with the department’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease Database. All children with one of these hepatobiliary diseases in association with inflammatory bowel disease were identified. Demographic details, medchemexpress age at presentation, indication for initial investigations, results of biochemical and immunological work-up, colonoscopy

findings, liver histopathology and MRCP results were reviewed. Results: Over the nine year period, 157 children (79 males and 78 females) were diagnosed with IBD. Of these, 12 (7.6%) were also diagnosed with either PSC (6 children), ASC (5 children) or AIH (1 child). Nine of the 12 children were males. Nine children had ulcerative colitis, 2 with IBD–Unclassified (IBDU) and one child had ileo-colonic Crohn’s disease. All had pancolitis at colonoscopy. The median age of diagnosis of the hepatobiliary diseases was 13.5 years of age (12.4 -14.4 years). Clinical features of chronic liver disease and abnormal liver biochemistry led to further investigations including liver biopsy and MRCP. In 7 children, the diagnosis of IBD and hepatobiliary disease was made concurrently. In 4 children, diagnosis of hepatobiliary disease preceded that of IBD and in one child, hepatobiliary disease was diagnosed subsequent to the diagnosis of IBD.

Methods: From November 2009 to October 2012, 48 cases of patients

Methods: From November 2009 to October 2012, 48 cases of patients underwent endolumenal EFR for resection of muscularis propria originating gastric submocusal tumors. Characteristics of 48 patients, clinical efficacy, safety of EFR and post-EFR pathological diagnoses were evaluated retrospectively. Results: EFR Barasertib in vivo was successfully performed

in 48 cases with 52 lesions. The median operation time was 59.72 min (range 30–270 min, SD 39.72 min). The mean tumor size was 1.59 cm (range 0.50–4.80 cm, SD 1.01 cm). During the EFR process, dual-channel gastroscopy was applied in 20 cases of SMTs and paracentesis during the EFR process was applied in 9 cases. EFR for larger SMTs and gastric corpus originating SMTs had longer operative times. Pathological diagnosis included 43 GISTs,

4 leiomyomas and 1 schwannoma. A larger tumor size was associated with higher risk of malignancy. No severe postoperative complications were observed. No tumor recurrences were confirmed in follow-up gastroscopy. Conclusion: Endolumenal EFR technique proved to be feasible and minimally invasive even for the resection of large gastric tumors originating from the muscularis propria. However, more data on EFR must be obtained and analyzed. Key Word(s): 1. EFR; 2. gastric SMTs; 3. feasibility; Presenting Author: WU CHUN-YAN Additional Authors: GUO XIAO-ZHONG click here Corresponding Author: GUO XIAO-ZHONG Affiliations: General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command Objective: To explore the diagnostic value of capsule endoscopy invascular lesions of the small medchemexpress intestine. Methods: To analyze the capsule endoscopy results of 51 cases of patients with suspected small intestinal bleeding from August 2003 to November

2012. Results: Among 51 patients with suspected small intestinal bleeding patients, there were 38 patients (74.5%) with positive results of capsule endoscopywith small bowel vascular lesions in 24 patients (40.1%), including 16 cases of the blood vessels to dilate, 6 cases of single jejunum vasodilation, 5 cases of multiple jejunum vasodilation, 3 cases of the blood vessels dilate in ileum single, 2 cases of jejunum and ileum blood vasodilation. There were 2 cases of Diculafoy disease in the middle of Jejunum, 4 cases of hemangiomas, 2 cases of venous sinus. Conclusion: The diagnostic value of capsule endoscopy for small bowel vascular lesions is better than other small bowel examination methods, such as the small intestine contrast angiography, intestinal CT, gut MRI and propelled double balloon enteroscopy. Key Word(s): 1. small intestine; 2. Capsule endoscopy; 3. diagnosis; Presenting Author: LIUPING WEI Additional Authors: SHANYU QIN Corresponding Author: SHANYU QIN Affiliations: The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) and cell blocks to the pancreatic cystic lesions.

Methods: From November 2009 to October 2012, 48 cases of patients

Methods: From November 2009 to October 2012, 48 cases of patients underwent endolumenal EFR for resection of muscularis propria originating gastric submocusal tumors. Characteristics of 48 patients, clinical efficacy, safety of EFR and post-EFR pathological diagnoses were evaluated retrospectively. Results: EFR FK866 was successfully performed

in 48 cases with 52 lesions. The median operation time was 59.72 min (range 30–270 min, SD 39.72 min). The mean tumor size was 1.59 cm (range 0.50–4.80 cm, SD 1.01 cm). During the EFR process, dual-channel gastroscopy was applied in 20 cases of SMTs and paracentesis during the EFR process was applied in 9 cases. EFR for larger SMTs and gastric corpus originating SMTs had longer operative times. Pathological diagnosis included 43 GISTs,

4 leiomyomas and 1 schwannoma. A larger tumor size was associated with higher risk of malignancy. No severe postoperative complications were observed. No tumor recurrences were confirmed in follow-up gastroscopy. Conclusion: Endolumenal EFR technique proved to be feasible and minimally invasive even for the resection of large gastric tumors originating from the muscularis propria. However, more data on EFR must be obtained and analyzed. Key Word(s): 1. EFR; 2. gastric SMTs; 3. feasibility; Presenting Author: WU CHUN-YAN Additional Authors: GUO XIAO-ZHONG Selleck VX 809 Corresponding Author: GUO XIAO-ZHONG Affiliations: General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command Objective: To explore the diagnostic value of capsule endoscopy invascular lesions of the small MCE intestine. Methods: To analyze the capsule endoscopy results of 51 cases of patients with suspected small intestinal bleeding from August 2003 to November

2012. Results: Among 51 patients with suspected small intestinal bleeding patients, there were 38 patients (74.5%) with positive results of capsule endoscopywith small bowel vascular lesions in 24 patients (40.1%), including 16 cases of the blood vessels to dilate, 6 cases of single jejunum vasodilation, 5 cases of multiple jejunum vasodilation, 3 cases of the blood vessels dilate in ileum single, 2 cases of jejunum and ileum blood vasodilation. There were 2 cases of Diculafoy disease in the middle of Jejunum, 4 cases of hemangiomas, 2 cases of venous sinus. Conclusion: The diagnostic value of capsule endoscopy for small bowel vascular lesions is better than other small bowel examination methods, such as the small intestine contrast angiography, intestinal CT, gut MRI and propelled double balloon enteroscopy. Key Word(s): 1. small intestine; 2. Capsule endoscopy; 3. diagnosis; Presenting Author: LIUPING WEI Additional Authors: SHANYU QIN Corresponding Author: SHANYU QIN Affiliations: The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) and cell blocks to the pancreatic cystic lesions.

5), containing 1 mM of EDTA, 2 mM of MgCl2, 50 mM of KCl, 1 mM of

5), containing 1 mM of EDTA, 2 mM of MgCl2, 50 mM of KCl, 1 mM of dithiothreitol, and protease inhibitors by incubating at 4°C for 30 minutes and centrifuging at 14,000 rpm for 5 minutes. A detailed protocol and antibodies used are described in Supporting Materials and Methods. Liver sections were stained for

5′-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive nuclei with the BrdU labeling and detection kit (Roche, Indianapolis, IN), according to manufacturer’s instructions. Ten randomly selected high-power fields (40×) of liver buy GPCR Compound Library sections from 4-6 mice per group were analyzed. The number of BrdU-positive cells were counted and expressed as a percentage of the total number of cells, as visualized by hematoxylin-eosin staining. For evaluation of eNOS gene expression, RNA was isolated from liver tissues harvested at 0.5-72 hours post-PH using the Qiagen RNeasy minikit, according to the manufacturer’s

instructions (Qiagen Sciences, Germantown, MD). Reverse transcription (RT) was performed using 2 μg of total RNA in a first-strand complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesis reaction with the high-capacity cDNA RT kit (Applied Biosystems, Foster city, CA), as recommended by the manufacturer. The cDNA product was amplified by quantitative RT polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in an ABI prism 7700 sequence-detection system Protein Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor (Applied Biosystems) with primers specific for mouse eNOS and cyclophilin, as described previously.15 Hepatocytes were isolated from 6-8-week-old WT and eNOS−/− male mice by the two-step collagenase perfusion protocol, as described previously, MCE公司 with modifications optimized for

mice.16 For hepatocyte proliferation assays, cell preparations with viability over 95%, as screened by Trypan Blue exclusion assay, were seeded at a low density of 200,000 cells/35 mm of Primaria tissue-culture wells (BD Labware, Franklin Lakes, NJ) in Williams E complete media, with additives for 3 hours to ensure hepatocyte adherence to plates. Subsequently, hepatocytes were maintained in Williams E minimal media free from serum and growth factors for 20 hours before treatment with growth factors. A detailed protocol of doses and duration of EGF treatment of hepatocytes in vitro and pretreatment of cell-signaling-pathway–specific inhibitors, to assess the role of eNOS in EGF-mediated mitogenic signaling and proliferation, is described in Supporting Materials and Methods. Data are represented as the mean ± standard deviation (SD) of at least three independent experiments. The statistical significance of difference between groups was analyzed by the unpaired Student’s t-test. Values of P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Activation of MAPKs and immediate early genes are hallmarks of early events activated within minutes of PH.

5), containing 1 mM of EDTA, 2 mM of MgCl2, 50 mM of KCl, 1 mM of

5), containing 1 mM of EDTA, 2 mM of MgCl2, 50 mM of KCl, 1 mM of dithiothreitol, and protease inhibitors by incubating at 4°C for 30 minutes and centrifuging at 14,000 rpm for 5 minutes. A detailed protocol and antibodies used are described in Supporting Materials and Methods. Liver sections were stained for

5′-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive nuclei with the BrdU labeling and detection kit (Roche, Indianapolis, IN), according to manufacturer’s instructions. Ten randomly selected high-power fields (40×) of liver Selleckchem Aloxistatin sections from 4-6 mice per group were analyzed. The number of BrdU-positive cells were counted and expressed as a percentage of the total number of cells, as visualized by hematoxylin-eosin staining. For evaluation of eNOS gene expression, RNA was isolated from liver tissues harvested at 0.5-72 hours post-PH using the Qiagen RNeasy minikit, according to the manufacturer’s

instructions (Qiagen Sciences, Germantown, MD). Reverse transcription (RT) was performed using 2 μg of total RNA in a first-strand complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesis reaction with the high-capacity cDNA RT kit (Applied Biosystems, Foster city, CA), as recommended by the manufacturer. The cDNA product was amplified by quantitative RT polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in an ABI prism 7700 sequence-detection system see more (Applied Biosystems) with primers specific for mouse eNOS and cyclophilin, as described previously.15 Hepatocytes were isolated from 6-8-week-old WT and eNOS−/− male mice by the two-step collagenase perfusion protocol, as described previously, MCE with modifications optimized for

mice.16 For hepatocyte proliferation assays, cell preparations with viability over 95%, as screened by Trypan Blue exclusion assay, were seeded at a low density of 200,000 cells/35 mm of Primaria tissue-culture wells (BD Labware, Franklin Lakes, NJ) in Williams E complete media, with additives for 3 hours to ensure hepatocyte adherence to plates. Subsequently, hepatocytes were maintained in Williams E minimal media free from serum and growth factors for 20 hours before treatment with growth factors. A detailed protocol of doses and duration of EGF treatment of hepatocytes in vitro and pretreatment of cell-signaling-pathway–specific inhibitors, to assess the role of eNOS in EGF-mediated mitogenic signaling and proliferation, is described in Supporting Materials and Methods. Data are represented as the mean ± standard deviation (SD) of at least three independent experiments. The statistical significance of difference between groups was analyzed by the unpaired Student’s t-test. Values of P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Activation of MAPKs and immediate early genes are hallmarks of early events activated within minutes of PH.

The recent major case of misconduct in social science

res

The recent major case of misconduct in social science

research[7] indicates that greater care will also be needed to assure the integrity of questionnaire-based research, both quantitative and qualitative. There has been a powerful movement during the past decade to demand that all clinical trials should be registered such that their progress can be tracked and the outcomes of those trials placed in the public domain.[18] There has also been a call for patients to boycott studies in which they are invited to participate unless they have assurance that the trial will ultimately be published.[19] The UK Health Technology Assessment Programme has an excellent record in registering and publishing Maraviroc mw clinical trials, and the European Medicines

Agency has agreed to publish all trial data by 2014.[18] Thus, although progress is being made, there are still a large number of clinical trials that remain unpublished, leaving a hole in the literature and the risk that meta-analyses will be biased toward a positive outcome. There is also a powerful campaign to insist that the pharmaceutical industry places all of the information that it has about the PI3K inhibitor drug in the public domain, a movement that is now supported by politicians and the new director of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in the UK.[20] The argument might be extended to include all major research studies, whether they are publicly or privately funded. It would follow that such an approach might go a long way to prevent the publication

of large numbers of fabricated studies from an author as editors might be encouraged to ask why a major study that had been submitted to their journal had not been registered at its inception. Perhaps editors should be encouraged to expect a more detailed declaration about the funding of studies that are submitted to their journal. What would the serial offenders like Boldt,[6] Stapel,[7] and Melendez[21] 上海皓元 have said when asked about the funding of the multitude of studies that have subsequently been found to have been fabricated and/or falsified? These interventions might be the equivalent of “speed cameras” for the research community and enable the institutional research leaders to give the sort of assurance about the integrity of its research that will be required in the future. Despite the dislike by many motorists of these “watchful eyes” on their behavior, there is increasing evidence that they reduce speed, reduce the frequency of accidents, reduce serious injuries, and save lives! In the recently published Concordat for the support of research integrity in the UK, there are two important words in the last of the five key commitments: “monitor” and “assurance.”[22] The monitoring of the conduct of research in my experience is variable in frequency and intensity.

However, recent phase Ill clinical trials indicate low antiviral

However, recent phase Ill clinical trials indicate low antiviral response rates in

these difficult-to-treat patients and physicians are challenged to give the best treatment recommendation. Methods: The PAN study is a non-interventional study conducted at multiple sites in Germany and includes treatment naive and treatment experienced patients with HCV genotype 1 infection who receive triple therapy with TVR or BoC at the physicians discretion. In the SB203580 mw present analysis, all consecutive retreated patients with HCV genotype 1 infection and well defined previous non response to PEG and RBV were included. Baseline characteristics Selleck PS 341 and treatment efficacy data were analysed. Results: There were 65 Patients with previous null response (63, 1% male, mean age 50, 5 years, BMI 26, 1 kg/m2, 49, 2% with HCV genotype 1b) and 121 Patients with previous partial response (59, 5% male, mean age 50, 0, BMI 26, 7 kg/m2, 56, 2% with HCV genotype 1b) who received retreatment with PEG and RBV plus TVR (n = 155) or BOC (n=31). Liver cirrhosis (at least one result of ultrasound, transient elastography, histology

or clinical signs) was present in 41, 5% and 21, 5% of patients with previous null response and partial response, respectively. High baseline viral load (>400.000 IU/ml

HCV RNA) was detected in 87, 7% and 81, 0% of the two groups, respectively. An extended rapid virologic response (eRVR, adjusted for TVR at weeks 4 and 12 and BOC at weeks and 24 of therapy) was achieved in 29, 5% of previous null responders and 56, 8% of previous partial responders. Preliminary SVR rates (available for a total of 68 patients) were 11, 8% (4/34) in previous null responders and 23, 5% (8/34) in previous partial responders. Discontinuation rates due to virologic failure or adverse events were 55, 0% and 24, 8% for the two groups, respectively. Conclusion: The baseline characteristics 上海皓元 of non responder patients in the PAN study demonstrate the high proportion of cirrhotic patients especially among previous null responders in Germany. In the real world setting, virologic response rates are poor and discontinuation rates are high and strongly confirm the medical need for new therapeutic options in this difficult-to-treat population. Disclosures: Stefan Mauss – Advisory Committees or Review Panels: Roche, Gilead, BMS, Janssen, Boehringer ingelheim; Speaking and Teaching: Janssen, Roche, MSD, Gilead, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim Klaus H.

The term means ‘carcinoma-like’ and refers to an apparently benig

The term means ‘carcinoma-like’ and refers to an apparently benign tumor with a malignant appearance

at histology. By the early 1950s, unusual features including cardiac disease were noted in some patients with liver metastases. These features were attributed to substances produced by the tumor and resulted in the term ‘carcinoid syndrome’. This syndrome occurs in only a minority of patients with carcinoid tumors (7%) and is usually associated with the excessive secretion of serotonin. At least 90% of patients with the carcinoid syndrome have multiple liver metastases but the syndrome has also been described in rare patients with pulmonary and ovarian carcinoids. Imaging studies for the detection of carcinoid tumors include computed tomography (CT), magnetic http://www.selleckchem.com/products/fg-4592.html resonance imaging and nuclear medicine scans. With CT, liver metastases from carcinoid tumors have a similar appearance to those of adenocarcinomas. Rare patients show patchy hepatic calcification but this Fulvestrant can also occur with colorectal metastases. In the patient illustrated below, the CT appearance was interpreted as that of a liver cyst. The patient was a 62-year-old woman who described a 3 month history of discomfort in the right upper quadrant of her abdomen, often worse at night. An upper abdominal ultrasound study showed multiple liver cysts of different sizes. Tumor

markers including alpha fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen and Ca19.9 were within the reference range. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan showed multiple liver cysts, the largest with a diameter of approximately 15 cm (Figure 1). There was patchy enhancement of the cyst wall in the arterial phase. As serological tests for hydatid disease were negative, a biopsy of the cyst wall was proposed. In the interim, the patient was readmitted to hospital with an acute abdomen. An emergency laparotomy revealed medchemexpress multiple peritoneal, liver and small bowel metastases with perforation of a segment of small bowel. The

site of the primary tumor was not apparent at the time of laparotomy. Histological evaluation of the resected specimen was consistent with metastases from a carcinoid tumor (Figure 2). Cystic liver metastases are rare but have been described in a small number of patients with carcinoid tumors and in one patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. “
“In an excellent review of locoregional treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), Lencioni1 states that there are no unequivocal data backing up radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as a replacement for hepatic resection as a first-line treatment for patients with early-stage HCC because optimal randomized controlled trials are lacking and a subset of HCCs that have a subcapsular location or are adjacent to the gallbladder or a large vessel are not candidates for RFA.

The term means ‘carcinoma-like’ and refers to an apparently benig

The term means ‘carcinoma-like’ and refers to an apparently benign tumor with a malignant appearance

at histology. By the early 1950s, unusual features including cardiac disease were noted in some patients with liver metastases. These features were attributed to substances produced by the tumor and resulted in the term ‘carcinoid syndrome’. This syndrome occurs in only a minority of patients with carcinoid tumors (7%) and is usually associated with the excessive secretion of serotonin. At least 90% of patients with the carcinoid syndrome have multiple liver metastases but the syndrome has also been described in rare patients with pulmonary and ovarian carcinoids. Imaging studies for the detection of carcinoid tumors include computed tomography (CT), magnetic Ganetespib cost resonance imaging and nuclear medicine scans. With CT, liver metastases from carcinoid tumors have a similar appearance to those of adenocarcinomas. Rare patients show patchy hepatic calcification but this BI 6727 in vivo can also occur with colorectal metastases. In the patient illustrated below, the CT appearance was interpreted as that of a liver cyst. The patient was a 62-year-old woman who described a 3 month history of discomfort in the right upper quadrant of her abdomen, often worse at night. An upper abdominal ultrasound study showed multiple liver cysts of different sizes. Tumor

markers including alpha fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen and Ca19.9 were within the reference range. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan showed multiple liver cysts, the largest with a diameter of approximately 15 cm (Figure 1). There was patchy enhancement of the cyst wall in the arterial phase. As serological tests for hydatid disease were negative, a biopsy of the cyst wall was proposed. In the interim, the patient was readmitted to hospital with an acute abdomen. An emergency laparotomy revealed 上海皓元 multiple peritoneal, liver and small bowel metastases with perforation of a segment of small bowel. The

site of the primary tumor was not apparent at the time of laparotomy. Histological evaluation of the resected specimen was consistent with metastases from a carcinoid tumor (Figure 2). Cystic liver metastases are rare but have been described in a small number of patients with carcinoid tumors and in one patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. “
“In an excellent review of locoregional treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), Lencioni1 states that there are no unequivocal data backing up radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as a replacement for hepatic resection as a first-line treatment for patients with early-stage HCC because optimal randomized controlled trials are lacking and a subset of HCCs that have a subcapsular location or are adjacent to the gallbladder or a large vessel are not candidates for RFA.

The investigators then went on to demonstrate the presence of thi

The investigators then went on to demonstrate the presence of this highly specific HBV receptor on the plasma membrane of susceptible primary human and primary Tupaia hepatocytes, HepaRG cells, and, intriguingly, on the hepatocytes from nonsusceptible species such as mouse, rat, rabbit, and dog Bortezomib concentration but not

pig, cynomolgus monkey, or rhesus monkey. As expected, this HBV-specific receptor was not detectable on HepG-2 or Huh-7 cells. The presence of this receptor required the maintenance of hepatocytes in a differentiated state in order for specific pre-S1 binding to occur, and receptor turnover on the hepatocyte membrane was slow. This in vitro study further confirmed the potent antiviral activity of pre-S/2-48myr by inhibiting viral entry as well as HBeAg secretion. In the

paper by Schieck et al.,7 the targeting of these N-terminally myristoylated pre-S1 peptidic receptor ligands to the liver was demonstrated clearly. As with the in vitro study, hepatocytes from the same nonsusceptible species also bound the labeled lipopeptides and were enriched in the liver, suggesting that the block in HBV infection of these cells is not due to the lack of receptor binding, but rather a lack of a critical coreceptor, a block in entry, or a post-binding step such as nuclear transport or cccDNA generation and processing. These in vivo studies also have important implications regarding the excellent pharmacokinetic properties www.selleckchem.com/products/3-methyladenine.html of drugs like Myrcludex MCE B, potentially the first entry inhibitor for HBV/HDV,

and furthermore, provide a basis for the application of these peptides as vehicles for hepatocyte-specific drug targeting.15 Both studies from the Urban group provide tantalizing clues to the identity of the elusive HBV/HDV receptor(s), but the discovery seemed to remain just out of reach until scientists from the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing, China, led by Professor Wenhui Li and colleagues, identified the sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) as a functional receptor for HBV and HDV.16 In their extensive experimental study, the investigators drew directly upon the existing knowledge that the HBV pre-S–derived lipopeptides, including HBV pre-S/2-48myr, blocked infection by binding to a putative viral receptor.17 By using zero distance photo-affinity cross-linking and mass spectrometry, the investigators identified NTCP as a receptor for the HBV pre-S1 peptide.16, 18 The NTCP, also known as SLC10A1, is an integral membrane protein normally involved in bile acid transport in the liver.19 NTCP is localized to the basolateral plasma membrane of hepatocytes (Fig. 1), consistent with its role in “capturing” blood-borne HBV and HDV.