EASL Secretary-General: Doctor Thomas Berg Discusses Highlights of the Conference, NAFLD Renaming, and Future Directions for Fatty Liver and Hepatitis

EASL Secretary-General: Doctor Thomas Berg Discusses Highlights of the Conference, NAFLD Renaming, and Future Directions for Fatty Liver and Hepatitis

The 58th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL 2023) and the EASL Congress 2023 have brought forth a splendid academic gathering for the global hepatology community. The Hepatology Digest reporting team had the privilege of interviewing Doctor Thomas Berg, EASL Secretary-General and Head of the Hepatology Department at Leipzig University Hospital. He shared with us the highlights of this conference, his perspective on significant research developments, thoughts on the renaming of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), and insights into the future research directions for fatty liver and hepatitis B.
WHO to Release New Hepatitis B Guidelines, Focusing on Expanding Treatment Eligibility and Simplifying Diagnosis and Treatment Pathways

WHO to Release New Hepatitis B Guidelines, Focusing on Expanding Treatment Eligibility and Simplifying Diagnosis and Treatment Pathways

At the 58th European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Annual Meeting (EASL 2023) and EASL Congress 2023, Doctor Philippa Easterbrook, Senior Scientist at the Global Hepatitis Programme of the Department of HIV at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, attended the WHO-ECDC Joint Forum. She discussed the new directions being drafted in WHO's updated Hepatitis B guidelines, focusing on expanding simplified treatment criteria, service delivery, and innovative diagnostics. Hepatology Digest had the privilege to interview Doctor Philippa Easterbrook about WHO's 2030 goals, the progress of the new Hepatitis B guidelines, essential information, and the global challenges and opportunities in addressing Hepatitis B prevention and control.
Dr. Yanhua Ding’s Team: Clinical Research on HBV CAM New Drugs and NAFLD Prediction Model Selected for Conference Presentation

Dr. Yanhua Ding’s Team: Clinical Research on HBV CAM New Drugs and NAFLD Prediction Model Selected for Conference Presentation

Dr. Yanhua Ding's Team: Clinical Research on HBV CAM New Drugs and NAFLD Prediction Model Selected for Conference Presentation Yanhua Ding practices in Changchun, China. Ding and is rated as an Experienced expert by MediFind in the treatment of Arthritis. They are also highly rated in 3 other conditions, according to our data. Their top areas of expertise are Hepatitis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D).
Doctor Tarik Asselah: Beyond Liver Cancer, Viral Hepatitis Is Also Linked to Some Extrahepatic Malignancies

Doctor Tarik Asselah: Beyond Liver Cancer, Viral Hepatitis Is Also Linked to Some Extrahepatic Malignancies

Doctor Tarik Asselah: Beyond Liver Cancer, Viral Hepatitis Is Also Linked to Some Extrahepatic Malignancies Tarik Asselah is a Full Professor of Medicine and Hepatology at Hôpital Beaujon, APHP, Clichy, France, and at the University of Paris, France. Tarik Asselah is the Head of Viral Hepatitis at INSERM (UMR 1149, Centre de Recherche sur l’Inflammation). He is MD and also holds a PhD in virology. His fields of research include chronic liver diseases, translational medicine and treatment of HBV, HCV and HDV infections with new direct-acting antivirals, for which he has been involved as a coordinator/principal investigator in several clinical trials. He coordinated major international clinical trials on HCV, HBV and HDV infections. He has published more than 250 articles in the field of chronic liver diseases in major journals (NEJM, Lancet, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Journal of Hepatology, etc…). (H-index = 60). He has been selected as a rising star in Gastroenteology in 2009 by the United European Gastroenterology (UEG) in appreciation of his outstanding scientific work. He received awards for his genomic studies on HCV in 2005 from the French Association for the Liver Disease (AFEF), and for his leadership in Hepatology in 2019 from the Czech Hepatology Society.
Doctor Tom Hemming Karlsen Explains the EASL- The Lancet Liver Commission Initiative to Improve European Liver Health and Its Implementation Progress

Doctor Tom Hemming Karlsen Explains the EASL- The Lancet Liver Commission Initiative to Improve European Liver Health and Its Implementation Progress

Doctor Tom Hemming Karlsen Explains the EASL- The Lancet Liver Commission Initiative to Improve European Liver Health and Its Implementation Progress Tom Hemming Karlsen (MD, PhD) is a clinical specialist in internal medicine and gastroenterology working in Oslo, Norway. Dr. Karlsen graduated from medical school at the University of Bergen in 1997. In 2012 he was appointed professor of gastroenterology at the University of Bergen and in 2014 he was appointed full professor of internal medicine at the University of Oslo. Within the Oslo University Hospital he is Research Head of the Division of Surgery, Inflammatory medicine and Transplantation, and is also leader of the Norwegian PSC research center at the Department of Transplantation Medicine and Research Institute of Internal Medicine. Clinically, he works as a senior consultant within transplant hepatology at the Section of Gastroenterology at the Department of Transplantation Medicine
Treatment Options for Early Liver Cancer, Strategies for Preventing Recurrence, and the Application of New Molecular Technologies in Tumour

Treatment Options for Early Liver Cancer, Strategies for Preventing Recurrence, and the Application of New Molecular Technologies in Tumour

Early treatment is the key to improving the survival rate of liver cancer patients. At the 58th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL 2023) and the EASL Congress 2023, Doctor Fabio Piscaglia from the University of Bologna, Italy, presented the latest developments in the treatment of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a special session titled "Treatment of early stage HCC in 2023." Hepatology Digest had the privilege of inviting Professor Fabio Piscaglia to share insights into HCC treatment strategies, strategies for preventing HCC recurrence, and the current status and prospects of emerging technologies for tumour molecular characterization.
New Insights from EASL: The Role of Lifestyle Interventions in Preventing and Treating NAFLD/NASH in Children and Adults 

New Insights from EASL: The Role of Lifestyle Interventions in Preventing and Treating NAFLD/NASH in Children and Adults 

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease globally and is independently associated with an increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) and cardiovascular diseases. Approximately one-third of the global population is currently facing the health threat posed by NAFLD, yet it appears that healthcare systems are not giving it enough attention. On the first day of the 58th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL 2023) and the EASL Congress 2023, Doctor Elisabetta Bugianesi from the Department of Digestive Internal Medicine at the University of Turin, Italy, urged the public to take NAFLD seriously. She provided a detailed overview of lifestyle interventions as a key means of preventing and treating NAFLD, sharing the latest research evidence, guideline recommendations, and future strategies. Hepatology Digest has compiled this report for the benefit of its readers.
Dr. Jinlin Hou and Dr. Fan Rong’s Team: The Joint Application of aMAP Score and LSM Provides a New Strategy for Liver Fibrosis Assessment in Untreated

Dr. Jinlin Hou and Dr. Fan Rong’s Team: The Joint Application of aMAP Score and LSM Provides a New Strategy for Liver Fibrosis Assessment in Untreated

The assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is of significant importance for initiating antiviral treatment and evaluating treatment efficacy. Serum models represented by Fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) and aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) exhibit inconsistent diagnostic performance for liver fibrosis in different study populations. Moreover, there is controversy regarding whether the dynamic changes in liver stiffness measurement (LSM) during antiviral treatment can predict fibrosis reversal. Therefore, new models or indicators are still needed for fibrosis assessment in CHB patients before and after antiviral treatment.
Dr. Huiguo Ding: AMMON-OHE Model for Risk Stratification of Outpatient Cirrhosis Patients for Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy

Dr. Huiguo Ding: AMMON-OHE Model for Risk Stratification of Outpatient Cirrhosis Patients for Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy

The occurrence of overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) in cirrhosis patients leads to a decrease in their health-related quality of life, along with a significant increase in the risk of hospitalization and death. At the 58th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL 2023) and the EASL Congress 2023, Dr. María Pilar Ballester and her team from the Clinical Hospital of the University of Valencia in Spain introduced a new model for assessing the risk of OHE in outpatient cirrhosis patients - the AMMON-OHE model, which can effectively predict the risk of the first episode of OHE. Dr Huiguo Ding's team from Capital Medical University Affiliated Beijing You'an Hospital, invited by Hepatology Digest, reviewed this research for readers to learn and reference.
Doctor Philippa Easterbrook: WHO to Release New Hepatitis B Guidelines, Focusing on Expanding Treatment Eligibility and Simplifying Diagnosis and Treatment Pathways

Doctor Philippa Easterbrook: WHO to Release New Hepatitis B Guidelines, Focusing on Expanding Treatment Eligibility and Simplifying Diagnosis and Treatment Pathways

At the 58th European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Annual Meeting (EASL 2023) and EASL Congress 2023, Doctor Philippa Easterbrook, Senior Scientist at the Global Hepatitis Programme of the Department of HIV at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, attended the WHO-ECDC Joint Forum. She discussed the new directions being drafted in WHO's updated Hepatitis B guidelines, focusing on expanding simplified treatment criteria, service delivery, and innovative diagnostics. Hepatology Digest had the privilege to interview Doctor Philippa Easterbrook about WHO's 2030 goals, the progress of the new Hepatitis B guidelines, essential information, and the global challenges and opportunities in addressing Hepatitis B prevention and control.