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This commentary outlines our expanding opportunities to harness the gut microbiota for cancer prevention and remission. Ultimately, simple microbial strategies might impart immune balance throughout the body leading to sustained good health.
New analysis reveals that activation of hepatic stellate cells, the key process driving liver fibrosis, is regulated through epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation.
Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for refractory Crohn's disease has the potential to halt therapy-resistant inflammation. Hawkey et al. argue that HSCT does not offer sustained benefit based upon their recent study; however, their study was designed using suboptimal end points and patients were not offered post-transplantation Crohn's disease medication.
Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a distinct clinical entity with a serious risk of death. However, much debate surrounds the pathogenesis and definitions of this disease. Sarin and Choudhury describe the differences and similarities between Eastern and Western definitions of ACLF and present a common approach to manage these patients for better clinical outcomes.
Clostridium difficileinfection (CDI) is one of the most common health-care-associated infections. Here, Kociolek and Gerding discuss the latest advances in the treatment and prevention of CDI, describing developments in antibiotic therapy, biotherapeutic approaches such as faecal microbiota transplantation or nontoxigenicC. difficile, and immunological approaches such as antibodies or vaccines.
The intestinal brush border consists of an array of densely packed microvilli that regulate absorption of nutrients. In this Review, the authors provide an overview of the many components that form the highly organized brush border domain and discuss pathological causes and consequences of a loss of brush border integrity.
Cystic fibrosis is caused by different mutations in theCFTRgene and can vary in severity and manifestation. Besides the well-known pulmonary consequences, the hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal tracts are also involved and will be the focus of this Review. In addition, the effect of new therapies on the gastrointestinal system will be examined, including potential benefits of using intestinal endpoints in clinical trials.
