, MedUni Vienna Rectorate Building, Spitalgasse 23, 1090).
"The Liver Center in Barcelona is one of the most influential and advanced centers of hepatology internationally," explains Michael Trauner, Head of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Department of Medicine III) at MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital. We are delighted that we have been able to attract a real luminary to MedUni Vienna in the person of Ramon Bataller, Head of the Division, to give the 10th Hans Popper Lecture."
On the initiative of Michael Trauner, the annual Hans Popper Lecture has been held at MedUni Vienna since 2011 in honor of the Vienna-born founder of modern molecular hepatology.
Ramon Bataller has advanced research with studies on molecular-biological inflammatory and fibrosis mechanisms and has brought new treatment options for alcohol-associated hepatitis into clinical application by means of translational research.
Alcohol-associated hepatitis is the most severe form of alcohol-induced liver damage, which has a high (50%) acute mortality rate and still requires a great deal of research, according to Trauner. Many people are still not aware of the liver-damaging effects of alcohol. Austria is one of the leaders in Europe and the world in terms of alcohol consumption. The toxic limit values continue to fall and even small amounts are now considered harmful.
The "Handbuch Alkohol Österreich" published by the Austrian Ministry of Health describes current harmlessness and risk limits. For men, the harmlessness limit is up to 24 grams of alcohol per day and for women 16 grams. 24 grams correspond to around 0.6 liters of beer.
The danger limits (consumption classified as hazardous to health) are defined as 60 grams of pure alcohol per day for men and 40 grams of pure alcohol per day for women. 60 grams correspond to around 1.5 liters of beer.
While a liver transplant is often the only option for advanced cases of the disease, intensive research is being carried out into drugs that can interrupt the inflammatory cascades in advance. In the acute stage, glucocorticoids are currently often used in combination with antibiotics, while the hope for the future lies in new biologics and small molecules; the microbiome is also seen as a promising starting point. New animal models are to promote research here. "Ramon Bataller and his research form a translational bridge here. If alcohol-associated hepatitis has occurred, the primary goal is to slow down the inflammation. Taking strict selection criteria into account, the international trend is currently even moving towards "early" liver transplantation for patients who do not respond to drug therapy, as these patients do not survive the usual waiting period. This also underlines the need for research into new, effective drug therapies," explains Michael Trauner.
There have been close contacts between Vienna and Barcelona for some time, particularly in the field of portal hypertension research. The Hans Popper Lecture 2024 is also intended to initiate cooperation in the field of alcohol-associated hepatitis.
Date: Hans Popper Lecture 2024
On September 18, Jugendstil lecture hall of MedUni Vienna, 2-4 pm:
Ramon Bataller: "Alcohol-associated hepatitis: currend trends and novel targets for therapy"
Chair Liver Unit, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
The lecture will be accompanied by a "Basic Research Seminar" with Bataller, Trauner and MedUni Vienna staff (September 18, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm; Vienna General Hospital Auditorium Center, Level 7, Course Room 7) and a "Translational Research Seminar" (September 19, Vienna General Hospital Auditorium Center, Level 7, Course Room 7; 9:00 am - 12:30 pm), at which the latest research findings from MedUni Vienna staff will also be presented and discussed.
