UNIVERSITY scientists say they have developed a new test to spot which patients suffering from a rare liver disease will respond to standard treatment.
Primary Biliary Cholangitis is a long-term condition which injures the bile ducts within the liver, causing fatigue, itchy skin, poor memory and concentration.
It can lead to liver failure.
Around 70 per cent of patients with the condition improve by using ursodeoxycholic acid tablets, but the remainder will not respond to the medication and it currently takes a year to find out if the treatment is working.
Now scientists and medics at Newcastle University have developed what they say is "a promising new test" to identify which patients will respond to standard treatment, allowing earlier intervention with alternatives for those who wont.
Dr Lucy Walker from the Institute of Cellular Medicine at Newcastle University said: “Our initial results show the technique provides a reliable indicator of a patient’s likelihood of failing to respond to the standard treatment.
“This means medical teams could intervene earlier with alternative treatments, increasing the chances of success and perhaps staving off the need for a liver transplant.”
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