Liver damage 'could be reversed'

Some liver damage caused by heavy drinking or hepatitis could be halted or even reversed, claim researchers.


US researchers say that the growth of scarring around the organ might be stopped by blocking a vital protein which helps it to form.

The research, in the journal PLoS Online, could also eventually help patients with lung problems and burns.

The British Liver Trust said that any treatment which lessened scarring would help patients.

Heavy alcohol use and hepatitis can lead to a process called fibrosis in the liver, which involves the formation of excessive scar tissue.

Cirrhosis happens when this scarring becomes too severe, interfering with the way the liver works.

Currently doctors can do little more than try to prevent more damage by changing the patient's lifestyle or treating the virus which caused it.

Damage reversal?

The researchers at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine have halted the formation of the scar tissue by blocking a protein called RSK, which is released naturally by the body as part of the healing process.

The scientists used mice with severe liver fibrosis, some of which were given a chemical which countered RSK.

Those mice had no further liver fibrosis, while those who didn't receive the chemical showed signs of more damage.

Dr Martina Buck, who led the study, said she felt that the treatment might be able to go further, and actually repair damage already caused.

"Our latest finding proves that we can actually reverse the damage,"

she said.

The researchers said that other conditions involving fibrosis, such as pulmonary fibrosis and scarring around burn injuries, could also potentially benefit.

A spokesman for the British Liver Trust said that the research was promising:

"This is clearly in very early stages and the real test will be when a treatment is developed to safely block progression of damage in the livers of patients with liver disease and reverse their fibrosis.

"Irrespective of whether cirrhosis is fully reversible there is clearly a lot of benefit to be derived from reducing the amount of liver fibrosis as this allows the liver cells to resume normal function."

Benazir Bhutto killed in attack

Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated in a suicide attack.

Ms Bhutto had just addressed an election rally in Rawalpindi when she was shot in the neck by a gunman who then reportedly set off a bomb.

At least 15 other people died in the attack and several more were injured.

President Pervez Musharraf and his government called on people to remain calm so that the

"nefarious designs of terrorists can be defeated."

Ms Bhutto had twice been the country's prime minister and had been campaigning ahead of elections due in January.

Nawaz Sharif, also a former prime minister and a political rival, told media her death was a tragedy for "the entire nation".

"I can't tell you what the feelings of the people of Pakistan are today,"

he told News 24 after returning from the hospital where she was brought.

It was the second suicide attack against Benazir Bhutto in recent months and comes amid a wave of bombings targeting security and government officials.

Ms Bhutto's death has plunged her party into confusion and raised questions about whether January elections will go ahead as planned, the BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says.

The PPP has the largest support of any party in the country.

Analysts note that Rawalpindi, the nerve centre of Pakistan's military, is seen as one of the country's most secure cities, making the attack even more embarrassing for the government of Gen Musharraf.

Scene of grief

The explosion occurred close to an entrance gate of the park in Rawalpindi where Ms Bhutto had been speaking.

Wasif Ali Khan, a member of the PPP who was at Rawalpindi General Hospital, said she died at 1816 (1316 GMT).

Supporters at the hospital began chanting "Dog, Musharraf, dog", the Associated Press (AP) reports.

Some supporters wept while others exploded in anger, throwing stones at cars and breaking windows.

Police confirmed reports Ms Bhutto had been shot in the neck and chest before the gunman blew himself up.

Mr Sharif said there had been a "serious lapse in security" by the government.

Earlier on Thursday, at least four people were killed ahead of an election rally he himself had been preparing to attend close to Rawalpindi.

Return from exile

The killing was condemned by the US, the UK, Russia and France.

"The attack shows that there are still those in Pakistan trying to undermine reconciliation and democratic development in Pakistan,"

a US state department official said.

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was "deeply shocked" by Ms Bhutto's death and called for "restraint but also unity".

"Extremist groups... cannot and must not succeed,"

he added.

Russia called on Pakistan's leaders to ensure stability while France spoke of an "odious" act and said it was deeply concerned.

Ms Bhutto returned from self-imposed exile in October after years out of Pakistan where she had faced corruption charges.

Her return was the result of a power-sharing agreement with President Musharraf in which he granted an amnesty that covered the court cases she was facing.

Since her return relations with Mr Musharraf had broken down.

On the day of her return she led a motor cavalcade through the city of Karachi. It was hit by a double suicide attack that left some 130 dead.

Australia v India, 1st Test, Melbourne, 2nd day

Australia 343 (Hayden 124, Kumble 5-84) and 0 for 32 lead India 196 (Tendulkar 62, Clark 4-28, Lee 4-46) by 179 runs

In the lead-up to Boxing Day Australia were certain they had a much more mature attack than last time India visited for Tests and within two days at the MCG Stuart Clark and Brett Lee proved that confidence was justified. Clark was miserly and dangerous, cancelling an entertaining act from Sachin Tendulkar and finishing the day with 4 for 28, while Lee grabbed 4 for 46 and became the sixth Australian to collect 250 Test wickets.

At stumps Australia had reached 0 for 32 in their second innings with Matthew Hayden on 22 and Phil Jaques on 10 after India were dismissed for 196 late in the day. India's innings finished with a record-equalling moment when Adam Gilchrist clutched a caught-behind off Lee to remove Zaheer Khan for 11 and in doing so drew level with Ian Healy's Australian wicketkeeping mark of 395 Test dismissals.

In Lee's previous over he himself had achieved a milestone by joining his former attack-mates Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie in securing his 250th victim. That too came with a catch by Gilchrist, albeit in slightly unusual circumstances. The Australians gave a loud appeal against Anil Kumble, certain they had their man, and Billy Bowden initially turned it down only to change his mind after chatting to his square-leg colleague Mark Benson.

Kumble was on 27 and with Sourav Ganguly (43) had given some resistance following Clark's efforts to run through the middle order. But Ganguly gave Brad Hogg another moment to remember - 11 years ago he was Hogg's first Test victim - when he was bowled by a quicker, flatter ball that gave Hogg his first wicket after four years out of Australia's Test attack. A skied catch from Harbhajan Singh left Hogg with 2 for 82, a far more flattering result than if Tendulkar had stuck around to keep flaying him to the boundary.

Fortunately for Hogg, Clark provided the major point of difference compared to the Australian attack of 2003-04. In that series Australia were missing Warne, who was on his drugs ban, and McGrath, who had an ankle injury, and their unsettled assortment of replacement bowlers could not dismiss India for less than 350 in a first innings.

That could have been the case again in Melbourne as Tendulkar looked immovable, forcing and finessing his way to 62. But the defining moment of the innings came ten minutes before tea when Clark used his height to add some extra bounce outside off stump and Tendulkar inside-edged onto his stumps trying to punch through the off side. It was almost a carbon copy of Tendulkar's dismissal in last week's warm-up match when the 200-centimetre Victorian Allan Wise provoked the same mistake.

But while rain stopped India's recovery at the Junction Oval the bright and sunny Melbourne conditions provided no such Test respite. Clark followed Tendulkar's dismissal with Yuvraj Singh, who was caught behind from the last ball before tea for 0, and two balls after the break he added MS Dhoni to his collection. Dhoni was still getting used to the conditions when he misread the line as Clark jagged one back in towards him and trapped him lbw.

Clark's weapon was his subtle variety - one delivery would bounce and edge fractionally away from the bat and the next would nip back and stay slightly lower. That uncertainty led to Rahul Dravid being judged lbw for a painfully slow 5, but it was his removal of Tendulkar that altered the match.

While the MCG crowd - there were nearly 25,000 fewer spectators than the first day - might have been lulled into slumber by Dravid they were jolted awake by Tendulkar. He looked supremely confident and was especially keen to dominate Hogg. The first Hogg ball Tendulkar faced was slog-swept from outside off stump high over midwicket for four and the assault continued, much to the delight not only the India fans but the majority of the MCG spectators, who knew their chances of ever seeing Tendulkar in another Test were slim.

He picked 15 off one over when he again slapped Hogg from outside off stump to midwicket for four, then launched a six over long-on from the next delivery and followed two balls later with an ultra-fine paddled sweep that also went for four. That brought up Tendulkar's half-century, a 57-ball effort that quickly regained the attention of any fans whose minds might have wandered during Dravid's 66-ball stay before lunch.

Tendulkar generally handled the fast bowlers well and after taking a 146kph short ball from

on the chest, followed with a boundary punched through cover. It was a confident way for Tendulkar to end what had been a short and fiery over but his partner at the time, VVS Laxman, did not handle the same situation quite as well.

Lee angled a short one in towards Laxman, who tried to evade it by crouching and rocking back but the ball followed him and failed to rise as high as he expected. Laxman (26) fended high and Ricky Ponting ran straight in from second slip, finishing up sprawled at full length as he clutched the chance.

Lee sustained his speed and bounce through most of the day - Harbhajan Singh can attest to that after one thudded painfully into his chest - and could easily have had more than his four victims. Mitchell Johnson was unfortunate to go wicketless after he had Dravid caught at first slip off a no-ball and dropped at gully by a diving Jaques.

Rotating the strike was not a priority for India's new opening pair. Dravid faced every ball in Johnson's initial seven-over spell and his partner Wasim Jaffer did the same for Lee until he was caught behind for 4 and replaced in the occupying of the Great Southern Stand end by Laxman.

India's top-order wobbles came after Australia's lower order also struggled, although Johnson and Clark added a handy 31 for the last wicket. When Clark departed for 21 in the third over of the day Australia had reached 337 and with India still trailing by 179 the hosts would no doubt be happy to post another 337 on day three.