In 2023, we witnessed advances in allocation policies and marginal donors, including living donors. Key improvements included the uncapped Model for End-stage Liver Disease 3.0 score, unveiled machine perfusion trials to standard deceased donors and lessons from the aborted living donor liver transplantations.

Enteric nervous system function is essential for survival. Studies published in 2023 have provided important novel insights into the mechanisms that regulate its development and maintenance, and demonstrate how it can be restored when these mechanisms fail.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID). Here, the authors review evidence on the preclinical phase of IBD, outlining and describing the proposed at-risk, initiation and expansion phases. Overlap with other IMIDs is discussed alongside the possible future directions for research into preclinical IBD.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has a strong heritable component, and genome-wide association cohort studies are highlighting the major genetic determinants of this condition. A meta-analysis of these databases has now enabled expansion of the list of the inherited variants that modulate the risk of MASLD. The identification of new MASLD risk loci is improving comprehension of disease pathogenesis and individual risk stratification, and also enabling the identification of novel therapeutic targets and disease subtypes that might ultimately lead to a precision medicine approach.