Volume 16 Issue 5, May 2019

In a new study, the risk of new mental illness postpartum was significantly increased in women with IBD, and specifically in those with Crohn’s disease. Disturbingly, the risk of a substance disorder was also elevated in these women. The findings highlight that disease management during pregnancy is challenging and requires a multidisciplinary approach.

A new study shows that a sustainable faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) treatment protocol, including anaerobic sample preparation, induces remission of active ulcerative colitis. The promising results are another piece in the puzzle, but it is not yet possible to draw conclusions and implement the procedure in clinical practice.

Cholangiocytes, which line the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts, are specialized cells that regulate bile production and homeostasis. Here, the authors discuss the role of cholangiocytes in development and liver regeneration, inflammation and fibrosis and their interactions with the immune system.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts are critical components of the tumour mesenchyme. In this Review, the authors outline the emerging understanding of gastrointestinal cancer-associated fibroblasts with a particular emphasis on their origin and heterogeneity, as well as their function in cancer biology.

Disease presentation and progression within and across IBD are highly heterogeneous, particularly in Crohn’s disease. Here, the authors summarize genomic, epigenomic and gut microbiota studies in adult and paediatric patients that have identified different IBD subtypes.

In this Review, the authors explore potential applications of big data in IBD research, including predictive models of disease course and response to therapy, characterization of disease heterogeneity, drug safety and development, precision medicine and cost-effectiveness of care.