Gastroenterology

Endoscopies could be replaced by far less invasive capsule sponge tests for half of all patients with Barrett’s esophagus, a known precursor to esophageal cancer, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital and Queen Mary University of London. The research was published in The Lancet.

Imagine a condition affecting nearly one-third of the global population, often silently progressing, and deeply intertwined with prevalent health issues like obesity and type 2 diabetes. This is metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD, previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It’s characterized by an excessive accumulation of fat in the liver, which can lead to more severe liver pathologies, including inflammation, fibrosis, and even liver cancer.

Both diagnostic and therapeutic use of the microbiota will become reality within the next 5–10 years. It emerges from an “informative” article published in Cell, written by doctors for doctors, to inform clinicians that a series of valuable diagnostic and therapeutic applications based on the microbiome could be just around the corner and bridge the communication gap between basic researchers and clinicians, which is slowing down their implementation.

McGill University researchers, in collaboration with colleagues in Israel and Ireland, have developed AI technology that can detect patterns in gut bacteria to identify complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) with remarkable accuracy, potentially transforming how CRPS is diagnosed and treated.

Researchers and clinicians have developed major new guidelines for the monitoring of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to prevent them going on to develop bowel cancer.

An ingestible gas-sensing capsule that provides real-time insights into gut health has moved closer to market with RMIT University transferring IP ownership to medical device company Atmo Biosciences.

A new study from Cedars-Sinai has examined whether a specialized diet could improve symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders linked to an imbalance in gut microbiota.

Gut microbes that were thought to feed exclusively on dietary fiber also get fed sugar from our guts, from which they produce short-chain fatty acids that are crucial to many body functions. The Kobe University discovery of this symbiotic relationship also points the way to developing novel therapeutics.

A transcutaneous electrical stimulation system (TESS) is effective in reducing both symptoms and esophageal acid exposure time in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), according to a study published online Jan. 23 in Neurogastroenterology & Motility.

Beneficial gut microbes and the body work together to fine-tune fat metabolism and cholesterol levels, according to a new preclinical study by investigators from Weill Cornell Medicine and the Boyce Thompson Institute at Cornell University’s Ithaca campus.