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A new report from the World Health Organization has evaluated the risks of dietary exposure to nanoplastic and microplastic particles (NMPs) to human health. Although challenges in the detection of NMPs in food and beverages remain, it is clear that humans are being exposed. Presently, no convincing evidence of adverse health effects are found, but major knowledge gaps remain.
The European Medicines Agency safety committee has revisited the label and recommended the use of Janus kinase inhibitors in patients with certain risk factors only if no suitable treatment alternatives are available. Although regulatory decisions are key to place therapeutic options based on safety, broad restrictions might lead to unintended consequences without an individualized benefit–risk evaluation.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) core protein-targeting compounds are in or entering clinical development without a standardized nomenclature. We propose a naming convention for these core-targeting antiviral products to provide clarity and accelerate HBV drug development.
Practical recommendations on achieving equitability in biomedical research can advance essential efforts to balance research representation. In this Comment, we highlight how to generate interoperable and robust datasets, engage in thoughtful partnerships with researchers across geographies and cultures, and embrace innovative opportunities to push microbiome research beyond the gut and beyond bacteria.
The recent increase in unexplained acute hepatitis in children in 2022 has focused attention on acute paediatric liver disease. We discuss emerging evidence and leading causal hypotheses in context with potential long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for young children.
Only 12 high-income countries are on track to meet the World Health Organization’s goal of eliminating hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030, and micro-elimination opportunities in high-risk populations in settings such as hospitals are often overlooked. We propose ten steps to eliminate hepatitis C in hospitals.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common among people who are incarcerated in low- and middle-income countries. Prison policy changes towards HCV testing and treatment are pivotal for social justice and can be a crucial step for achieving HCV global elimination targets.
Biological sex bias in clinical trials is a common issue in various medical fields, including gastroenterology and hepatology. Without sex parity and increased attention to sex-specific analyses, the translation of trial results into real-world clinical practice remains suboptimal with unpredictable consequences for patient care.
The definition of gastrointestinal involvement in post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, its frequency and its pathophysiology are still not completely understood. Here, we discuss the emerging evidence supporting immunological signatures and the unique nature of the gastrointestinal tract in this syndrome.
The burgeoning field of intratumoural microbiome research has been driven by advances in next-generation sequencing technologies, with compelling evidence on the role of the microbiota in cancer initiation, progression and patient response to treatment. Here, we discuss new concepts of the tumour-associated microbiota and what is needed to advance the translational impact of these findings in gastrointestinal cancers.
Patients with end-stage liver disease and COVID-19 are at a higher risk of hospitalization, ventilation and death than those without chronic liver disease. Whether the aetiology of liver disease also affects the natural history of COVID-19 in cirrhosis is debated. Effective and universal vaccination is paramount to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Although available clinical outcome data are reassuring, the consequences of in utero exposure to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pharmacotherapies on the development of the neonatal immune system remain ill-defined. So too does the converse effect on immunological maturation of fetal exposure to maternal inflammatory activity. Both warrant elucidation to appropriately stratify antenatal IBD care.
