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  • Year in Review
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ALD in 2022

Advancing alcohol-related liver disease: from novel biomarkers to refining selection for liver transplantation

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 20, pages 71–72 (2023)Cite this article

Subjects

Key advances

  • Non-invasive plasma proteomics from patients with alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) can be used to identify prognostic biomarkers and potential targets for therapy5.

  • The gut–liver axis has a key role in the pathophysiology of ALD; the complement receptor of immunoglobulin superfamily (CRIg) mediates pathogen recognition and phagocytic function in ALD and could represent a novel targeted therapy7.

  • Early liver transplantation for patients with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis not responding to medical therapy provides a significant survival benefit; although there is a slightly higher risk of relapse after liver transplantation, clinical outcomes at 2 years are similar in early versus standard liver transplantation indication in patients with ALD9.

In 2022, we witnessed advances in the field of alcohol-related liver disease. Key developments included the discovery of novel proteomics-based biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets that regulate the recognition of molecules derived from gut microbiota to modulate liver injury. Additionally, there have been significant advances in refining selection for liver transplantation in severe alcohol-associated hepatitis.

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Fig. 1: Representation of integration between multi-omics data and identification of new therapeutic targets in ALD.

References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine, Western University & London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada

    Juan Pablo Arab

  2. Departamento de Gastroenterología, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Juan Pablo Arab

  3. Liver Unit Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Ramon Bataller

  4. School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Ramon Bataller

Authors
  1. Juan Pablo Arab
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  2. Ramon Bataller
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Correspondence to Juan Pablo Arab.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Arab, J.P., Bataller, R. Advancing alcohol-related liver disease: from novel biomarkers to refining selection for liver transplantation. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 20, 71–72 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-022-00723-6

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