Congenital portosystemic shunts and the development of liver tumours: characterisation of the genetic and histopathologic background to identify the progression of molecular alterations
Professor Richard John Thompson, Dr Athanasios Tyraskis, Professor Mark Davenport, Professor Nigel Heaton, Dr Alberto Quaglia.
Congenital portosystemic shunts (CPS) occur when the blood vessels around the liver aren’t formed properly so the blood doesn’t flow through, in and around the liver as it should. In some cases of CPS, blood from the intestines, pancreas and spleen (called portal venous blood) bypasses the liver straight into the main blood circulation in the body. In other cases blood from the hepatic artery may take on the role of supplying nutrients to the liver instead of the portal vein. These changes can affect the chemical balance inside the liver. It isn’t know exactly why, but people who have CPS are more likely to develop tumours. This study aimed to find out why this is.
This grant has taken the work a long way and has opened several new areas of investigation. Please view the abstract poster, kindly provided by Dr Athanasios Tyraskis, which explains the findings of this study:Congenital portosystemic shunts and the development of liver tumours
