Review Articles in 2018

The stomach responds to injury via two main patterns, the superficial response and the glandular response. In this Review, Sáenz and Mills discuss cellular plasticity and reprogramming in the stomach in the context of disease (such as gastric cancer) and during repair and homeostasis.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have an important role during infection but they are also related to the exacerbation of inflammation and the development of autoimmunity, cancer metastasis and inappropriate thrombosis. Here, the authors focus on the role of NETs in the liver and gastrointestinal system, outlining their protective and pathological effects and their potential for therapeutic intervention.

The human gut microbiota undergoes dramatic development early in life. Here, the authors explore how this development is influenced by priority effects, whereby the order and timing of microbial species arrival affect community assembly. In turn, factors affecting order and timing, including delivery mode, diet and parenting behaviours, are also discussed.

A growing body of evidence suggests that chronic hepatitis C infection is associated with an increased rate of extrahepatic cancers. In this Review, the authors summarize epidemiological studies exploring this relationship and provide insights into the potential mechanisms underlying a causal link.

A growing body of evidence implicates non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in liver carcinogenesis. In this Review, the authors summarize the pathological roles of ncRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma and explore the potential applications of ncRNAs as diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets.

Hirschsprung disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition affecting the enteric nervous system and defined by the absence of enteric neurons in the distal bowel. This Review provides an update on the basic science discoveries that link to clinical manifestations of the disease.