Drug-induced liver injury: a summary of recent advances

INTRODUCTION: The knowledge base of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) continues to grow each year as additional drugs are identified as hepatotoxins. There is still a need to improve our ability to predict and diagnose DILI in the preclinical and post-approval settings. AREAS COVERED: This article presents the new and updated DILI registries for 2010, including the latest information on the causes and outcomes of non-acetaminophen DILI cases in the US Acute Liver Failure Study Group database. As DILI is still largely a diagnosis of exclusion, it is appropriate that causality assessment instruments are again the subject of considerable discussion. EXPERT OPINION: DILI research remains extremely active including studies aimed at being better able to identify causative agents, utilize potential biomarkers, predict who is at greatest risk of injury and manage outcomes. With respect to identifying DILI risk factors at the genetic level, the field is rapidly approaching the day where 'personalized medicine' (based on pharmacogenomics) will become a reality. A large single-center series from India reminds us that geography can influence the drugs responsible for liver injury; however, Hy's law remains universal. As our DILI knowledge continues to grow, it remains essential to keep abreast of the important changes reported each year.