Review Articles

Intestinal immune cell trafficking contributes to the pathogenesis of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). This Review discusses the underlying immune cell trafficking mechanisms along the gut–liver, gut–joint and gut–brain axes and provides an overview of their implications for treatment options in IMIDs.

Experimental and clinical evidence supports a role of metabolic perturbation in the development of gut inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This Review discusses the role of diet and metabolic inflammation in IBD, outlining key concepts and highlighting the links between metabolism and inflammation in IBD.

Here, the authors provide an overview of benign liver tumours (hepatic haemangioma, focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular adenoma), including pathogenesis, diagnosis and management. Insights into how molecular physiology could inform clinical practice are also highlighted.

In this Review, Jess and colleagues describe the prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, the mechanisms underlying the bidirectional association between these diseases and the effect of treatment on their co-occurrence.

Metabolic (dysfunction)-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a chronic liver disease typically associated with obesity. This Review discusses the epidemiology and physiology of individuals of normal weight with MAFLD and provides insights into their metabolic health and metabolic adaptation.

Surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most lethal solid cancers globally, is insensitive for the detection of early-stage tumours. In this Review, the authors discuss HCC biomarkers that can improve early diagnosis, therapy monitoring and prediction of therapy response.

In this Review, Souza and Spechler describe the mechanisms, pathophysiology and cells of origin of Barrett oesophagus, a precursor of oesophageal adenocarcinoma, and discuss the clinical implications.

This Review covers the discovery of Akkermansia muciniphila and its association with health and disease, including metabolic diseases. Insights into underlying mechanisms for how A. muciniphila improves health are given as are comparisons with other next-generation beneficial microorganisms.

Diet is part of the multidisciplinary management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This Review outlines a step-based approach to the dietary management of IBD, outlining the role of dietary therapy with practical insights for dietitians and clinicians.

Polycystic liver diseases are genetic disorders that cause hepatic cystogenesis, which can coincide with cyst development in the kidney, with women being more affected than men. This Review discusses the genetics and underlying mechanisms and provides up-to-date therapeutic insights.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide and screening is useful for early diagnosis. This Review outlines currently available CRC screening options worldwide (including colonoscopy and stool-based tests). Key features of each modality and new screening tests under development are described.

In this Review, O’Toole and colleagues discuss the composition and function of the gut microbiome as it relates to ageing and ‘unhealthy’ ageing as well as the potential for microbiome-directed interventions to encourage ‘healthy’ ageing.

Clostridioides difficile infection has a notable health and economic burden worldwide. In this Review, the authors provide insights into the physiology of C. difficile and how it survives and has adapted to the gut environment, including insights into host–microorganism and microorganism–microorganism relationships.

Attaining mucosal healing without immunosuppression is an attractive option for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This Review describes the mechanisms of mucosal healing and how they might be altered in IBD and discusses potential therapeutic approaches to promote mucosal healing and regeneration.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious gastrointestinal disease affecting premature infants and causing substantial morbidity and mortality. This Review highlights key advances in the understanding of how NEC develops, discusses preclinical developments in potential therapies and provides a future outlook for the field.

In this Review, the authors describe how the chronic inflammatory microenvironment in the gastric mucosal epithelia during Helicobacter pylori infection can stimulate intracellular signalling pathways that lead to the development of gastric adenocarcinoma.

In this Review, Andersen and colleagues discuss exogenous and endogenous factors responsible for mutational signatures in hepatobiliary cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma and biliary tract cancers. In addition, they explore the role of mutational signatures in hepatobiliary tumorigenesis.

Intestinal tissue engineering offers a potential therapeutic option for short bowel syndrome. This Review examines the progress in intestinal tissue engineering, discusses the components required for engineered intestinal grafts, preclinical progress and efforts towards clinical translation, including challenges to overcome.

Dysbiotic microbiome signatures are linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus and inflammatory bowel disease activity, relapse risk and treatment response. Here, Metwaly and colleagues review these signatures and discuss why integrative analyses of multi-omics data could generate fresh insight into the mechanisms underlying these diseases.

Here, the authors describe the role of bile acids and their receptors in health and in gastrointestinal and liver disease. This Review provides insights on therapeutic strategies based on targeting bile acid homeostasis.