The hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) immune microenvironment is heavily influenced by immunosuppressive neutrophils, yet the mechanisms driving their senescence-associated reprogramming remain elusive.

Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) are associated with antibiotic use, although the link with other drugs remains underexplored.

Current guidelines recommend a two-step approach for risk stratification of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), starting with Fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) followed by liver stiffness measurement (LSM) using vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE).

The gut-liver axis plays a critical role in liver disease progression; however, how gut microbial ecology and function vary across disease stages remains unclear.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis-associated UC (PSC-UC) carries excess colorectal neoplasia despite often mild-appearing endoscopy, implicating persistent microscopic inflammation and microbiota-bile acid (BA) dysfunction.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) exhibits increased levels of arachidonic acid-derived pro-inflammatory derivatives indicating an uptake of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).

High serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) predict poor prognosis in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), a malignancy that often develops in a chronically inflamed milieu. Here, tumour cells are capable of autonomously producing and engaging autocrine IL-6 signalling, yet the consequences of this remain unknown.

Survival outcomes after transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) vary in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, and existing prognostic scores and imaging models often lack generalisability and biological interpretability.

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a non-endothelial vascularisation programme sustaining pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) perfusion and metastasis, yet its regulators and therapeutic vulnerabilities remain unclear.

The tumour-stroma ratio (TSR) is a potential prognostic indicator, yet hindered by quantification challenges and conflicting reports.

Gut bacteria have been implicated in a wide range of health conditions, yet their potential role in preventing and treating muscle-wasting disorders remains largely unexplored.

Postoperative recurrence is a major contributor to the dismal prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer (PC). Defining the molecular features of PC with recurrence is crucial for the development of effective therapeutic strategies.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections remain a global health concern. Immunocompromised patients are at an increased risk of developing chronic HEV infection and thereby severe liver disease. Current off-label regimens are suboptimal with treatment failure being reported. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an effective anti-HEV treatment.

International comparative data on autoimmune gastritis (AIG) remain limited.

While colorectal cancer (CRC) has been linked to the gut microbiome, it remains unclear whether specific microbial signatures are detectable in precursor lesions such as adenomatous polyps, serrated lesions or sessile serrated lesions.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is among the most common gastrointestinal diseases requiring hospitalisation, often with severe outcomes and no disease-specific therapy. Nutritional support has been proven to improve outcome, but little is known regarding optimal timing and composition.

Concomitant metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is prevalent in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), yet its impact on liver-related outcomes remains controversial. Although the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway is pivotal in innate immunity, its involvement in CHB-MASLD comorbidity is undefined.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. Epidemiological evidence indicates that MASLD is associated with an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). MASLD and CRC share many common risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms, but an optimal strategy for identifying and managing CRC risk in individuals with MASLD remains lacking.

In the past 5 years, clinical trials on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) have flourished globally, and China has become one of the leading regions in this field. In response to the breakthrough progress and accumulation of evidence from key clinical trials, the Chinese Society of Colorectal Surgery has recognised the need for updated consensus guidance on the development of perioperative and organ-preserving treatment strategies for LARC. This expert consensus guidance provided unified standards for the indications, medication regimens, efficacy evaluations and follow-up of ICIs in this population, with a focus mainly on perioperative management and organ-sparing strategies. The diagnostic part of this consensus guidance is based on the internationally recognised definition of mismatch repair/microsatellite instability detection and emphasises the importance of multidisciplinary teams in treatment decision-making. In terms of treatment, based on the results of key trials that have changed clinical practice in the past 5 years, this expert consensus provides graded recommendations for the duration of preoperative immunotherapy and the necessity of postoperative adjuvant therapy, local resection and organ preservation strategies. Moreover, we refined the management process for the safety of perioperative immunotherapy. This document aims to provide a reference for surgeons; internal medicine, radiation therapy, pathology and imaging physicians; patients and nursing staff involved in the treatment of LARC, as well as health policy makers.

Gut microbiota dysbiosis is linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. However, the role of bacterial genomic structural variations (SVs) in ASD remains largely unexplored.