Review Articles in 2022

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.

Intestinal immune cell trafficking is a tightly regulated process involved in health and disease. This Review discusses the sphingosine 1-phosphate modulators as therapeutic agents in targeting leukocyte trafficking and inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease.

In this Review, Russell and Camargo summarize the role of the Hippo signalling pathway in liver development, homeostasis, regeneration and disease, and discuss development of potential therapeutics for liver diseases such as fibrosis and cancer.

Growing evidence indicates that neutrophils are involved in tumorigenesis, progression and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, Geh and colleagues summarize neutrophil phenotypes in HCC, describe the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying these contributions of neutrophils to HCC and highlight emerging neutrophil-targeted therapies.

Mechanosensation — detecting mechanical forces and converting them into physiological responses — is important for normal gastrointestinal tract function. Mechanosensation abnormalities are frequently found in gastrointestinal diseases. This Review describes the physical properties of the gut relevant for mechanosensing, as well as the mechanosensory molecules, cells and circuits involved in gastrointestinal tract mechanosensation.

Despite advances in testing for coeliac disease over the past two decades, awareness of this disease remains suboptimal worldwide. Here, Makharia and colleagues summarize the current knowledge of epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis and follow-up of coeliac disease and highlight opportunities for future research.