Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
The feasibility of long-term organ preservation ex vivo has been reported for the first time with proof of concept in human transplantation. Here, we discuss the possible applications of this novel technology in the clinical setting.
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.
The year 2022 was notable for substantial research progress related to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The first single-cell and spatial transcriptomic atlases of PDAC were reported, a mechanism for how Schwann cells promote perineural invasion was explored, and, finally, the role of exercise in abrogating immunosuppression was shown.
In this Review, Cowardin, Moore and colleagues discuss advances in our understanding of environmental enteric dysfunction in the context of intestinal adaptation and the gut microbiome during pregnancy, lactation and early childhood.
Various pathways enable communication between the gut and brain, and this communication influences physiology and behaviour. Studies published in 2022 demonstrate how our understanding of several of these pathways is advancing rapidly.
Health care contributes to the climate change burden, and measures should be taken to mitigate these effects. This Perspective discusses the carbon footprint of surgery in gastroenterology and hepatology and offers an overview of sustainable strategies.
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.
2022 was a proficuous year in both the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity fields. Pharmacological treatment for obesity and NAFLD is moving forward, with the possibility of replacing bariatric surgery, artificial intelligence might help us access the histological effects of new drugs, and there were advances in personalized hepatocellular carcinoma screening in patients with NAFLD.
Intestinal gluconeogenesis (IGN) is a conserved mechanism documented in all vertebrates and it has a crucial role in energy homeostasis and metabolic processes. This Perspective provides an overview of IGN and discusses its importance in natural selection.
Key studies published in 2022 further established the importance of alterations in the gut microenvironment and interactions with the enteric and central nervous systems in symptom generation in irritable bowel syndrome and suggested novel and clinically accessible therapeutic approaches for this large group of patients.
Severe obesity in adolescents affects their health and quality of life. Currently, metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is the only effective intervention, but only a limited number of individuals undergo MBS procedures. Therefore, vigorous research in MBS is a priority for the benefit of adolescents with obesity.