The fields of gastroenterology and hepatology, along with endoscopic practice, have seen significant changes and innovations to practice in just the past few years. These practice changes are not limited to gastroenterology, but maternal fetal medicine and the care of the pregnant person have become increasingly more sophisticated as well. Gastroenterologists are frequently called on to provide consultative input and/or perform endoscopy during pregnancy. To be able to provide the best possible care to these patients, gastroenterologists need to be aware of (and familiar with) the various nuances and caveats related to the care of pregnant patients who either have underlying gastrointestinal (GI) conditions or present with GI and liver disorders. Here, we offer a clinical update with references more recent than 2018, along with a few words about SARS-CoV-2 infection and its relevance to pregnancy.

The protein post-translational modification (PTM) in host cells can be rewritten by bacterial enzymes and represents an unprecedented mechanism in the communication between intestinal flora and the host. Although Akkermansia muciniphila has been widely investigated as a probiotic and blunts colitis-associated tumourigenesis in mice, there is little understanding regarding whether A. muciniphila is involved in the PTM of colorectal cancer (CRC). This study investigates whether and how A. muciniphila engages in the PTM of host CRC.

In retrospective studies, liver stiffness (LS) by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) is associated with the risk of liver decompensation in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but prospective data in biopsy-confirmed cohorts with advanced fibrosis are limited. We aimed to establish thresholds for LS by VCTE that predict progression to cirrhosis among patients with bridging fibrosis and hepatic decompensation among patients with cirrhosis due to NASH.

The interleukin-22 cytokine (IL-22) has demonstrated efficacy in preclinical colitis models with non-immunosuppressive mechanism of action. Efmarodocokin alfa (UTTR1147A) is a fusion protein agonist that links IL-22 to the crystallisable fragment (Fc) of human IgG4 for improved pharmacokinetic characteristics, but with a mutation to minimise Fc effector functions.

The microbiome has been proven to be associated with many diseases and has been used as a biomarker and target in disease prevention and intervention. Currently, the vital role of the microbiome in pregnant women and newborns is increasingly emphasised. In this review, we discuss the interplay of the microbiome and the corresponding immune mechanism between mothers and their offspring during the perinatal period. We aim to present a comprehensive picture of microbial transmission and potential immune imprinting before and after delivery. In addition, we discuss the possibility of in utero microbial colonisation during pregnancy, which has been highly debated in recent studies, and highlight the importance of the microbiome in infant development during the first 3 years of life. This holistic view of the role of the microbial interplay between mothers and infants will refine our current understanding of pregnancy complications as well as diseases in early life and will greatly facilitate the microbiome-based prenatal diagnosis and treatment of mother-infant-related diseases.

To determine whether the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) compared with the use of histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) is associated with an increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in tumour immune microenvironment (TIME) remains understudied. Here, we elucidate function and mechanism of YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA binding protein 1 (YTHDF1) in colorectal cancer (CRC) TIME.

Exhausted hepatitis B virus (HBV)-specific CD8 T cells in chronic HBV infection are broadly heterogeneous. Characterisation of their functional impairment may allow to distinguish patients with different capacity to control infection and reconstitute antiviral function.

A major goal of curative hepatitis B virus (HBV) treatments is the reduction or inactivation of intrahepatic viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). Hence, precise cccDNA quantification is essential in preclinical and clinical studies. Southern blot (SB) permits cccDNA visualisation but lacks sensitivity and is very laborious. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) has no such limitations but inaccurate quantification due to codetection of viral replicative intermediates (RI) can occur. The use of different samples, preservation conditions, DNA extraction, nuclease digestion methods and qPCR strategies has hindered standardisation. Within the ICE-HBV consortium, available and novel protocols for cccDNA isolation and qPCR quantification in liver tissues and cell cultures were compared in six laboratories to develop evidence-based guidance for best practices.

Investigating the effect of ferroptosis in the tumour microenvironment to identify combinatory therapy for liver cancer treatment.

We present the final analysis results of the phase 2 JADE study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03361956).