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The cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remains a mystery and treatment continues to pose a real challenge. This Viewpoint examines the role of dietary, pharmaceutical and psychological therapies in IBS and the value of taking an integrated treatment approach to the management of patients with this condition.
The large-scale study of protein expression and protein function by using molecular technologies—proteomics—has become increasingly attractive, because the proteome reflects the intrinsic genetic program of the cell and the impact of its immediate environment. This Review describes conventional proteomic technologies currently being used and their limitations, and demonstrates their clinical applicability, with specific reference to published data of relevance to the gastroenterology field.
With the advent of natural orifice translumimal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), a new dimension has been added to minimally invasive surgery. The authors of this Review examine the current status of NOTES, analyze the associated hazards and potential benefits of the technique, and consider the implications of NOTES for future surgical endoscopy.
Our understanding of how proteases function and interact within the gastrointestinal tract has been largely restricted to their role in nutrient digestion; however, it has become clear that proteases are involved in regulating signaling processes that are important for intestinal epithelial cell function. In this Review, the authors discuss how proteases impact gastrointestinal pathophysiology, specifically mucosal permeability, immune defense mechanisms and pathogenic challenges.
