The effects of industrialization on the human gut microbiome have been associated with an increased risk of non-communicable diseases. In a new study published in Cell, researchers have investigated the effect of a non-industrialized-type diet on the gut microbiome and on the risk of chronic diseases. The researchers conducted a randomized controlled feeding trial in 30 healthy Canadian adults. Participants

A new study published in Nature explored the role of sensory nerves in gastric cancer. “Cancer cells in extra-cranial solid tumours create an electrical circuit with the sensory nervous system,” says Timothy Wang, corresponding author of the study. Using multiple mouse models of gastric cancer, the researchers showed that sensory nerves expressing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) created a neural

A new trial, published in The Lancet, has shown that adding a single sentence with a suggested deadline for return of a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) in the invitation letter reduced the need to issue reminder letters and led to a more timely FIT return as part of a national colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programme. The TEMPO trial was a 2 × 4 factorial, eight-arm, randomized controlled trial

I read with great interest the article by Lee et al. (Lee, B. P. et al. Designing clinical trials to address alcohol use and alcohol-associated liver disease: an expert panel Consensus Statement. Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 21, 626–645 (2024))1. In their Consensus Statement1, the authors are to be commended for their comprehensive framework, which integrates methodologies from alcohol use disorder

We thank Kang for their comments on our recent Consensus Statement (Lee, B. P. et al. Designing clinical trials to address alcohol use and alcohol-associated liver disease: an expert panel Consensus Statement. Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 21, 626–645 (2024))1 to incorporate genetic variations into consideration (Kang, B. Incorporating genetic variations in alcohol-associated liver disease trials

From 20–22 February 2025, Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology attended in person the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Liver Cancer Summit 2025 in Paris, France. The meeting was attended by 720 delegates from 51 countries and there were 238 abstracts submitted, according to the organizers.

Vaccines to treat cancer are currently in development, with the potential for personalized treatments targeting specific mutations in various cancer types. A previous phase I trial reported that a personalized RNA neoantigen vaccine was safe and stimulated anti-tumour CD8+ T cells in patients with pancreatic cancer that correlated with delayed recurrence of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (8 of 16, at 1

Accurately determining dietary and nutrient intake in nutrition research is challenging, and usually reliant on self-reported methods such as dietary questionnaires that can introduce bias. A new study published in Nature Metabolism reports a method for quantifying food-derived DNA in human stool — Metagenomic Estimation of Dietary Intake (MEDI) — by examining faecal metagenomes. This new, semi-quantitative

Correction to: Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-025-01045-z, published online 17 February 2025.

In February 2025, Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology attended the 20th Congress of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO’25) in Berlin, Germany. According to the organizers, 1,776 abstracts were submitted, of which 1,358 were posters and 176 were oral presentations. Compared with previous years, ECCO’25 had the highest attendance, with 8,156 delegates. This year, ECCO focused

As the burden of obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease increases, the focus is shifting to the wide spectrum of disease, more accurate diagnostic criteria and the systems that influence our health to advance care.

In a new study published in Science, researchers identify a mechanism in mice by which the nervous and immune systems interact to regulate blood glucose levels by controlling pancreatic glucagon secretion. First, they observed that mice with no adaptive lymphocytes and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) (Rag2−/−Il2rg−/−) had reduced blood glucose and glucagon levels during fasting. But this effect was not

Correction to: Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-024-01035-7, published online 31 January 2025.

A scientist’s personal journey through breast cancer underscores the urgency for greater empathy in research and healthcare, a patient-centred approach to data dissemination, and more comprehensive, streamlined support for early-career researchers navigating health crises.

A study in Nature Medicine developed a new clinical test based on a gut metagenome-derived multispecies biomarker panel for the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease, which outperformed faecal calprotectin. Shortly after, a study in Cell identified a health-relevant network-based core microbiome that could substantially advance precision microbiome medicine.

Non-communicable diseases represent the primary cause of mortality and morbidity globally, accounting for 74% of all deaths and more than three-quarters of years lived with disability. Here, we argue that metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease should be considered a non-communicable disease.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is known to increase the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet also triggers hepatocyte senescence (a tumour-suppressive cell state). New research shows that the gluconeogenic enzyme fructose-1,6-bisphophatase (FBP1) serves as a key control point in the switch from MASH to HCC. “Since senescence describes a non-dividing cell state associated

2024 saw the approvals of several drugs by the FDA and the EMA related to gastroenterology and hepatology. In 2024, the FDA also approved biosimilar products to Stelara (Janssen; ustekinumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting IL-12 and IL-23) for the treatment of moderate to severely active Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which included Steqeyma (Celltrion), Yesintek (Biocon Biologics), Imuldosa

Correction to: Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-024-00918-z, published online 18 March 2024.

Desynchrony of the mammalian circadian clock has known detrimental metabolic effects, but how synchronous and desynchronous signals are transmitted is unclear. A new study reports that the hepatic vagal afferent nerve (HVAN) transmits signals to the brain that result in changes in food intake and that ablation of the HVAN can prevent aberrant food intake. “We previously reported defects in the molecular

Colorectal cancer remains a challenging heterogeneous disease with substantial morbidity and mortality. However, progressive advances over the past year have led to marked improvements and overcome challenges previously considered insurmountable. Here, we review key clinical trials in colorectal cancer in 2024, leading to personalized approaches in locally advanced and metastatic disease.

A new study published in Nature explores the dynamic changes that colorectal cancer (CRC) cells undergo during their transition to the metastatic state by comparing primary tumours with metastases. “Clinically, metastases are less responsive to therapy than primary tumours in the same patients, despite harbouring the same mutations,” says Karuna Ganesh, co-corresponding author of the study. The researchers

New research published in Science Translational Medicine identifies an interplay between tumour-intrinsic and tumour-extrinsic factors that drive resistance to treatment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The findings provide the rationale for combined therapies that target both oncogenic signalling and the tumour microenvironment to overcome PDAC drug resistance. Inhibitors of the RAS–MAPK

To define the pathophysiology of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and identify therapeutic options, it is crucial to understand the sources of hepatic fat accumulation. In patients with MASLD, it is estimated that hepatic triglycerides are primarily derived from adipose tissue as free fatty acids (~59%), followed by de novo lipogenesis (~26%) and diet (~15%). However

To mark the twentieth anniversary of Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, we asked three experts to comment on how the gut microbiome has transformed our understanding of biology and the strengths and limitations of microbiome research today as well as to look ahead at what the next 20 years of microbiome research and clinical applications might look like. In this Viewpoint, Maria Carmen Collado

Subsets of human tuft cells retain their proliferative capacity throughout life and can act as a damage-induced pool of regenerative stem cells, report Huang et al. in Nature. Organoids containing all human intestinal cell types were generated by the researchers from a single mature proliferating human tuft cell. Organoids engineered to lack tuft cells did not regenerate after irradiation, unlike those

Consumption of no and low-alcohol (NoLo) beverages is now commonplace in modern society. However, the debate surrounding the relative risks and benefits of these products is nuanced and evolving, particularly in patients with a history of alcohol use disorder or alcohol-related liver disease. This Comment summarizes the major individual and public health implications of NoLo drinks in order to help

Twenty years since the launch of Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, developments in research and clinical practice continue apace. In our anniversary issue, we focus on the past, present and future of gastroenterology and hepatology.