International
Digestive
Disease
Forum 2023

The promise of HBV cure includes a finite course of treatment in the majority of patients and improved clinical outcomes. Numerous researchers and industrial partners have explored various treatment targets to reach the holy grail. This lecture will discuss the latest drug development and whether we are on the right track.

The Baveno consensus has contributed much to our understanding in advanced liver disease and its best practices. The latest Baveno VII consensus provides clear instructions on the diagnosis, risk stratification and management of advanced liver disease, with practical guidance on the application of non-invasive tests. The lead author of the Baveno consensus will update us on this important document and how we should apply the concepts in clinical practice.

The gut-liver axis plays an important role in liver homeostasis, and its disruption underlies the pathogenesis of many liver diseases. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is generated by the gut in addition to the liver, but its function remains enigmatic. This lecture will discuss the recent discoveries on the role of intestine-derived HDL hepatoprotection against liver injury.

The human microbiome has been suggested to modulate cancer development and therapy response, but it is unclear how we could harness the microbiome to benefit cancer patients. This lecture will discuss how precision probiotics or their secreted metabolites could be exploited for the personalized prevention or treatment of cancer.

Gastrointestinal bleeding is a medical emergency with significant morbidity and mortality. Endoscopic hemostasis remains the mainstay of treatment. This lecture will introduce the advancement in endoscopic technique and the development of novel devices to handle difficult bleeders.

Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) transfers gut microbiota from healthy donor to recipient to modulate its composition and function. It has been recognized as an emerging therapy in gut dysbiosis-related diseases. This lecture will discuss the new evidence and potential role of FMT in irritable bowel syndrome.

As advanced endoscopic resection (eg, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), endoscopic full-thickness resection) and third-space endoscopy (eg, peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), peroral endoscopic tumor resection (POET) have been increasingly performed in the recent years, the need for more effective tissue closure devices and techniques has always been present. This lecture aims to discuss the latest advances in endoscopic tissue approximation devices and techniques in management of GI diseases.

EUS has been increasingly applied in the management of chronic liver diseases (eg, EUS-guided liver biopsy) and cirrhotic complications (EUS-guided variceal interventions) in the recent decade. As the field of endo-hepatology evolves, endoscopic technique for portal pressure gradient measurement has gained clinical interest in the recent years. This lecture aims to discuss the current status of EUS-guided portal pressure gradient measurement in the management of chronic liver diseases.