Review Articles in 2016

Objective assessment of disease activity in IBD is crucial for successfully guiding therapy. Here, the authors comprehensively evaluate disease activity indices for their use in clinical practice and clinical trials, as well as assessing relevant biomarkers and measures of quality of life.

In this Review, the authors summarize current knowledge of the epidemiology, pathogenesis and molecular biology of hepatitis delta virus. A summary of existing treatment options and novel treatment regimens under clinical development is provided.

Necrotizing enterocolitis is the most frequent and lethal gastrointestinal disease in premature infants. This Review outlines current approaches for the treatment and diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis and examines the progress made in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of this disease as well as potential avenues for future treatment development.

Resection of the diseased gastrointestinal tract can lead to surgical complications and low quality of life. In this Review, Bitar summarizes advances in gastrointestinal tissue engineering and regenerative medicine that aim to overcome these complications and restore tissue function.

Correct diagnosis and detailed assessments in patients with GERD are needed to correctly characterize the condition in adults and children and to avoid overtreatment. In this Review, the authors outline currently available diagnostic tests and discuss approaches to limit any unnecessary medical or surgical interventions.

The enteric nervous system is vital for life, and its dysfunction participates not only in digestive disorders, but also in diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Here, Rao and Gershon discuss the gastrointestinal consequences of neurological disorders, the acquisition of CNS disease in the gut and the spread of pathology along the gut–brain axis.

This Review comprehensively examines the possible mechanisms that might link pulmonary disease and oesophageal reflux, highlighting the gaps in current knowledge and limitations of previous research, and helping to shed light on the frequent failure of antireflux treatments in pulmonary disease.

Gastrointestinal dysfunction is very common in patients with systemic sclerosis, and often severely reduces quality of life. In this Review, Emmanuel discusses optimal strategies to identify and manage gastrointestinal complications in patients with systemic sclerosis, and outlines potential new therapies.

Most colorectal polyps can now be resected endoscopically using either mucosal resection or submucosal dissection. Although the former is an established technique, the latter has seen slow adoption in the West. In this Review, the authors summarize the indications for both procedures and discuss new advances in endoscopic polyp surgery.

Liver regeneration is important in both the context of homeostasis and in recovery from disease or injury. In this Review, Forbes and Newsome describe the mechanisms underlying liver regeneration and the experimental models used to study this process, as well as discussing how liver regeneration is clinically relevant.

Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as a successful treatment forClostridium difficileinfection (CDI). Here, the authors describe the latest information on the mechanisms of action of FMT in the context of CDI and how it might restore the gut microbial community and structure. They also explore future applications of FMT beyond CDI.

Elastography techniques for the noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis, disease severity and prognosis are increasingly included in guidelines and clinical practice. In this Review, the authors summarize the problems of noninvasive tests in general, and provide an overview on available techniques and developments in liver elastography.

This Review discusses the mechanisms via which changes in the gut can influence the development and progression of NAFLD. Understanding of such mechanisms is hoped to pave the way for new treatments for what has become the most common form of liver disease.

Upper gastrointestinal tract function is regulated by vagovagal neurocircuits, comprising brainstem nuclei that integrate visceral sensory information and provide vagal motor output. Here, Travagli and Anselmi describe the organization of these neurocircuits and their plasticity in response to stressors. The influence of gastrointestinal peptides on vagovagal neurons is also discussed.

The Hippo signalling cascade is crucial for the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and regeneration after damage. This Review describes the core components of the Hippo pathway and their role in intestinal homeostasis, regeneration and disease, and the integration of Hippo signalling with other key signalling pathways. The function of the Hippo pathway in liver physiology and disease is briefly discussed.

Treatment of HCV infection has evolved rapidly with the development of effective direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) that target different stages in the viral life cycle. Here, Götte and Feld describe the mechanisms of action of these DAAs and the different clinical attributes of each drug class (such as barriers to resistance, drug–drug interactions). Challenges in drug development efforts for the future are also briefly discussed.

Hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes are associated with a high risk of developing malignancies. Despite compelling data from preclinical models, clinical studies of promising chemopreventive agents often yield conflicting results. Here, the authors discuss critical issues related to previous chemopreventive trial designs, focusing on common pitfalls and how future interventions might be improved.

Up to 30% of patients with typical GERD symptoms are refractory to standard acid-suppressive treatment. In this Review, the authors discuss the clinical features and current management of patients with refractory GERD, and the roles of surgical interventions and pharmaceutical agents. Finally, the authors provide up-to-date algorithms for the optimal management of patients with refractory GERD.

Much progress has been made in understanding viral hepatitis by taking advantage of experimental models to provide insights into viral biology, immunity and potential treatments. In this Review, Thomas and Liang discuss the currently availablein vitro and in vivomodels for viral hepatitis, focusing on HBV and HCV infection. New insights and progress are discussed.

Constipation is common, affecting quality of life and causing a burden on health-care resources. Here, the authors provide an overview of the diagnosis and management of chronic constipation in adults, highlighting the pathophysiology of the condition and the available treatment options.