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A New Approach to Liver Disease? S C I E N T I S T S M AY B E on the path to developing a new weapon against cholestatic liver diseases. Cholestasis impedes the fl ow of bile between liver cells and the duodenum. Liver fibrosis, which is linked to cholestasis, can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure, and effective treatments are lacking. In animal models, a secretin recep- tor antagonist reduced liver fi brosis, according to researchers at Texas A&M Health Science Center. Besides its effect on fi brosis, the antagonist can deactivate related genes, includ- ing among people who have a genetic predisposition toward fibrosis, the researchers found. "This work might help manage hepatobiliary disorders with extra- hepatic bile duct obstruction and p r i m a r y s c le ro s i n g c h o l a n g i t i s , " Fanyin Meng, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine and one of the authors of the study, stated in a news release. The fi ndings appear in the journal Hepatology. ■ — By Steve Barrett Fighting Autism at the Gut Level M I C E C A N E X H I B I T b e h a v i o ra l defi cits that are in some respects similar to symptoms experienced by people who have autism. Research on mouse models suggests it may be possible to treat autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders by addressing the lack of a particular species of gut bacteria. Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered that social deficits in mice can spring from the absence of Lactobacillus reuteri, according to an article in the journal Cell. The offspring of mice fed a high-fat diet had a ninefold decrease in L. reuteri in their microbiome and were less likely to initiate interactions than mice born to mothers fed a normal diet. They also spent less time in general in contact with other mice. When researchers restored this bacteria to the guts of affected mice, some of the social deficits reversed, according to a news release from Baylor College of Medicine. Researchers say this could lead to probiotic interventions to treat neurodevelopmental disorders in humans. ■ — By Steve Barrett FDA Approves First Cholera Vaccine F O R T H E F I R S T time, the FDA has approved a cholera vaccine. Vaxchora, for adults 18–64 years of age who are traveling to areas w h e re t h e d i s e a s e i s p re s e n t , is designed to prevent cholera caused by serogroup O1, the agency announced. Serogroup O1 is the primary cause of cholera, the World Health Organization notes. Safe food-handling and water practices, along with hand washing, have been the key means of preven- tion until now, the FDA stated in a news release announcing approval of Vaxchora. In a study, Vaxchora had 90 per- cent efficacy among participants who orally ingested Vibrio cholerae bacteria 10 days after vaccination. Three months after vaccination, effi cacy was 80 percent. Vaxchora is taken in liquid form a minimum of 10 days prior to travel to areas affected by cholera. Cholera causes up to 142,000 deaths worldwide each year. ■ — By Steve Barrett 1 6 1 6 1 6❱❱❱❱❱ T H A T ' S N E W S