International Hepatology

From June 5-8, 2024, the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Annual Meeting was held in the cultural city of Milan, Italy. This premier academic event attracted over 7,000 hepatology professionals from around the world. During the conference, we had the privilege of interviewing the Chairman of this year’s conference, and current EASL Secretary-General, Professor Aleksander Krag. He shared key topics of the conference and the latest research advancements in hepatology. Professor Krag emphasized that metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has become the most widespread liver disease globally and highlighted the importance of drug development and policy cooperation in advancing liver disease treatment and management. He also discussed the challenges and future directions in liver disease research, encouraging collaboration and innovation in the field.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common and highly lethal malignancy, with its treatment methods continuously evolving. In recent years, immunotherapy has become a hotspot in liver cancer treatment. Recently, Professor Zhexiong Lian's team from Southern Medical University published a paper in the Journal of Hepatology, revealing the potential value of inhibiting OXCT1 activity in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) for treating HCC. The study found that high OXCT1 expression is closely associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients. By inhibiting OXCT1, TAMs can be reprogrammed to an anti-tumor phenotype, enhancing the cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells, thereby providing a new strategy for immunotherapy of liver cancer.

Diabetes and liver disease are common chronic diseases in China, with overlapping mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and therapeutic targets, making them interrelated risk factors. Co-managing these conditions can help reduce the disease burden. To support the development of diabetes and liver disease co-management in China, our publication, in collaboration with the China Diabetes and Liver Disease Co-management Action Plan (CDL), introduces the CDL Monthly Literature Review column. Each month, we will share research on the mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment progress related to diabetes with liver disease, and invite experts from related fields in China to provide commentary. We aim to offer valuable insights and assistance to specialists, researchers, and frontline healthcare workers in conducting scientific research and clinical practice.

Antiviral therapy plays a crucial role in reducing the risk of liver cancer and delaying disease progression in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The survival rate and quality of life for CHB patients have been steadily improving. However, the treatment needs of "Small Three Yang" (HBsAg, anti-HBe, and anti-HBc positive) patients have often been overlooked. At the 17th National Clinical Conference on Liver Diseases held on May 25, 2024, Hepatology Digest interviewed the conference chairman, Professor Xiaoguang Dou from Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, to discuss clinical cure strategies for "Small Three Yang" patients. Here is a summary of the interview for our readers.

The Digestive Disease Week (DDW) in the United States is a premier global academic conference in the field of digestive system diseases. The 2024 DDW was successfully held in Washington, D.C., from May 18-21, attracting approximately 14,000 gastroenterologists and hepatologists. At the conference, a study titled “THE REDUCED ACCURACY OF NON-INVASIVE TESTS FOR SIGNIFICANT FIBROSIS IN CHB PATIENTS WITH MASLD,” a collaboration between Professor Jie Li from Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital and Dr. Yihui Yang from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, was presented and awarded the AASLD Foundation Abstract Award. Dr. Yihui Yang represented the team in presenting the study and accepting the award. Hepatology Digest has invited the team to share the exciting details of their research.

Recently, the "8th International Forum on Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILI) and the 9th National Academic Conference on Drug-Induced Liver Injury, along with the launch of the '2024 Chinese Guidelines for Grassroots Diagnosis and Management of Drug-Induced Liver Injury,'" was successfully held in beautiful Xiamen. This year's conference focused on the management of liver injury caused by anti-tumor drugs, inviting numerous renowned experts and scholars from home and abroad for rich academic exchanges. Professor Yimin Mao from Renji Hospital, the conference chairman, gave a detailed and in-depth explanation on the conference highlights, international influence, guideline updates, and industry development in a interview with Hepatology Digest.

Under long-term and repeated stimulation from various causes, a normal liver can develop into cirrhosis. Histologically, cirrhosis is characterized by diffuse liver fibrosis accompanied by collapse of the lobular structure (including microvascular structures) and the formation of pseudolobules, leading to portal hypertension and even liver function decompensation. Professor Hong You's team at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, was the first in the world to propose a new pathological standard for evaluating the reversal of hepatitis B-induced cirrhosis. This new standard, known internationally as the "Beijing Standard," not only increases the recognition rate of cirrhosis reversal but also changes the clinical practice of requiring two liver biopsies for evaluation. Recently, at the "25th National Academic Conference on Traditional Chinese Medicine for Hepatobiliary Diseases," Hepatology Digest conducted an exclusive interview with Professor Hong You to discuss the diagnosis of cirrhosis reversal and other related issues. Here are the highlights of the interview.

According to statistics, there are currently over 400 million people in China suffering from various liver diseases, with approximately one in three people having chronic liver disease. Hepatitis B patients account for about 24% of this number. Liver diseases have become one of the most prevalent threats to people's health. Chronic liver diseases, such as chronic viral hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, if not treated in a timely and standardized manner, can eventually progress to liver failure or even liver cancer, posing a serious threat to human life and health. With the advancement of medicine, the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine in China has opened new avenues for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic liver diseases by complementing each other's strengths. Recently, at the 25th National Academic Conference on Traditional Chinese Medicine for Hepatobiliary Diseases organized by the Hepatobiliary Disease Branch of the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Professor Yueqiu Gao addressed the advantages and shortcomings of traditional Chinese medicine in treating chronic hepatitis. Hepatology Digest has compiled this discussion for its readers.

On May 18, 2024, the "25th National Academic Conference on Traditional Chinese Medicine for Hepatobiliary Diseases" was successfully held in Chongqing. The conference invited masters of Chinese medicine, academicians, nationally renowned TCM doctors, and leading experts in hepatology from both traditional Chinese and Western medicine to present academic reports. The focus was on hot and challenging issues in TCM hepatology, showcasing the latest achievements in TCM treatment of liver diseases. At the conference, Associate Professor Jingjie Zhao from the TCM Department of Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, delivered a brilliant report titled "Quality Evaluation of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials on TCM Intervention in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease." The following is a summary of her report for our readers.

Primary liver cancer is currently the 4th most common malignant tumor and the 2nd leading cause of cancer-related death in China, posing a serious threat to the life and health of the Chinese people. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has extensive clinical experience in treating primary liver cancer, using a syndrome differentiation approach at different stages of the disease based on its etiology and pathogenesis. At the recent "25th National Academic Conference on Traditional Chinese Medicine for Hepatobiliary Diseases" organized by the Hepatobiliary Disease Branch of the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Professor Chunjun Xu, chairman of the Hepatobiliary Disease Branch, gave an exclusive interview with Hepatology Digest to discuss the treatment of primary liver cancer with TCM. Here is a compiled version of the interview for our readers.