Featured
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Year in Review |
Modelling intestinal inflammation and infection using ‘mini-gut’ organoids
In 2020, major advances to the understanding of gastrointestinal inflammatory and infectious disease have been made using ‘mini-gut’ organoids. Key findings include the discovery of somatic inflammatory gene mutations in ulcerative colitis epithelium, a unique mutational signature in colorectal cancer caused by genotoxic Escherichia coli, and infection of intestinal organoids by SARS-CoV-2.
- Vivian S. W. Li
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Comment |
In vitro ecology: a discovery engine for microbiome therapies
To therapeutically modulate gut microbial ecosystems, a better understanding of gut ecology is key. High-throughput in vitro ecology provides a tool with the necessary power to address these needs and interpersonal treatment response variation.
- Emma Hernandez-Sanabria
- , Jorge Francisco Vázquez-Castellanos
- & Jeroen Raes
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Review Article |
Organoid models of gastrointestinal cancers in basic and translational research
Organoid technology has emerged as a powerful method for studying gastrointestinal cancers. This Review describes organoid models of gastrointestinal cancers, such as colorectal and liver cancer, and discusses how they can be used in basic and translational research in fields such as drug discovery and personalized medicine.
- Harry Cheuk Hay Lau
- , Onno Kranenburg
- & Jun Yu
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Research Highlight |
Anaerobic intestine-on-a-chip system enables complex microbiota co-culture
- Iain Dickson
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Review Article |
Mouse models of hepatocellular carcinoma: an overview and highlights for immunotherapy research
Multiple methods exist to induce liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma formation in mice. This Review provides an overview of different mouse models of hepatocellular carcinoma, discussing approaches to help choose an appropriate model and highlighting specific concepts for immunotherapy research.
- Zachary J. Brown
- , Bernd Heinrich
- & Tim F. Greten
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News & Views |
Reverse-engineering the serrated neoplasia pathway using CRISPR–Cas9
Serrated polyps contribute substantially to the development of colorectal cancer. Unfortunately, our knowledge of the molecular events that drive these lesions is limited. Now, a new study describes an organoid-based mouse model that might accelerate our understanding of the serrated neoplasia pathway.
- Arne Bleijenberg
- & Evelien Dekker
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News & Views |
Inulin regulates endothelial function: a prebiotic smoking gun?
A new study shows that the prebiotic inulin improves vascular function in an animal model of cardiovascular disease. A key mechanism for how dietary gut microbiota modulation regulates host physiology through the activities of host–microbiota co-metabolic signalling via bile acids and glucagon-like peptide 1 is also explained.
- Francesca Fava
- & Kieran M. Tuohy
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News & Views |
The bumpy road to animal models for HBV infection
Cell culture infection models help to develop antiviral agents, but animal models are required to understand complex virus–host interactions and the development of immune therapies. Although identification of the HBV uptake receptor enabled establishing cell lines that replicate HBV from its natural transcription template, animal models supporting the full HBV life cycle are still lacking.
- Ulrike Protzer
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Reply |
Extracellular gastrointestinal electrical recordings: movement not electrophysiology
- Kenton M. Sanders
- , Sean M. Ward
- & Grant W. Hennig
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Reply |
Power comes from technical fidelity, not from ease of use
- Kenton M. Sanders
- , Sean M. Ward
- & Grant W. Hennig
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Year in Review |
High-definition PBC: biology, models and therapeutic advances
In 2016, obeticholic acid became the first new licensed therapy for primary biliary cholangitis in >20 years. This therapeutic came at a time of improved disease understanding from biliary and immunological mechanistic insights.
- Gwilym J. Webb
- & Gideon M. Hirschfield
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In Brief |
A new model to study chronic HCV infection
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In Brief |
A useful mouse model of NASH
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Review Article |
Animal models of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and/or nonalcoholic steatohepatits can take decades to evolve and progress, which limits the quality of longitudinal data. Researchers have, therefore, turned their attention to the development of suitable animal models to test the role of molecules and molecular pathways in the progression of fatty liver formation. This Review discusses the benchmark animal models that recapitulate the pathology and metabolic dysfunction associated with NALFD.
- Lionel Hebbard
- & Jacob George