Liver Disorders
An introduction to touchHEPATOLOGY
Hepatology covers hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), cirrhosis and rarer conditions such as autoimmune and cholestatic liver diseases. Despite numerous advances, liver-related mortality has remained stable for over 30 years. The World Health Organization has set targets for hepatitis C elimination by 2030. Immunotherapy and combination therapies have greatly increased the efficacy of the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, as a result of the increasing prevalence of obesity, NAFLD is reaching epidemic proportions and poses a major challenge to global public health. There is an urgent need for long-term management strategies and pharmacological interventions for NAFLD.
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Hepatitis E virus (HEV) remains a major global cause of acute viral hepatitis, posing particular risks to pregnant women, immunocompromised individuals and patients with chronic liver disease. In this interview, Prof. Premashis Kar discusses the immunogenicity and safety findings from a phase 3 study of a recombinant HEV vaccine presented at EASL 2026, and explores how expanded vaccination strategies could help reduce the clinical and public health burden of HEV.
EASL Congress 2026 has concluded after four days of scientific exchange, collaboration and innovation, bringing together the global liver health community in Barcelona, Spain, and online. With more than 8,500 attendees from 120 countries and 2,278 scientific abstracts, this year's congress once again reinforced its position as a world leading meetings in hepatology.
POSITANO is a randomized, double-blind phase 2b trial investigating CAM2029 in patients with symptomatic polycystic liver disease (PLD). In this interview, Prof. Joost PH Drenth highlights the burden of PLD on patients, the unmet needs in its treatment, and explores the aims, design and findings of the phase 2b study, and the next steps in the development of CAM2029.
Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a severe and often life-threatening syndrome in patients with chronic liver disease, characterised by acute decompensation and a high risk of multi-organ failure. Yet differences in its definition across regions have hindered research and clinical progress. Ahead of EASL 2026, the Global ACLF Consensus Meeting brought international experts together to work toward a unified definition. In this interview, EASL Secretary General Prof. Debbie Shawcross discusses the challenges, key outcomes of the meeting, and the path toward global standardization of ACLF care and research.
Meet the immunologists redefining the future of practice, research, and technology! The touchIMMUNOLOGY Future Leaders 2026 have been nominated by the immunology community to recognize the rising stars shaping the future of research and clinical care. These clinicians, researchers and innovators are driving progress across the specialty — from advancing clinical practice to challenging convention and improving patient outcomes.
In this Q&A Future Leader Dr Elisa Pose explores what first drew her pursue a career in hepatology, the most rewarding moment in her journey so far, and the most exciting current innovations in chronic liver disease.
February is Rare Liver Diseases Month, bringing global attention to policy, education and advocacy needs surrounding rare liver conditions. During this month, the Global Liver Institute leads its annual #RareAware campaign to highlight the importance of early detection and access to care. With more than 100 rare liver diseases often going unrecognised, greater awareness helps patients receive timely support and empowers families to make informed decisions and advocate confidently for their care.
Across Europe, liver disease continues to place a growing burden on patients, families, and healthcare systems, demanding coordinated, high-quality, and multidisciplinary care. Nurses and allied health professionals (AHPs) are central to this effort, playing a vital role in prevention, education, clinical management, and long-term support for people living with liver disease. Within this evolving landscape, the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Nurses & AHPs Task Force works to strengthen professional collaboration, advance education, and promote consistent, evidence-based hepatology care across diverse European settings.
As 2025 draws to a close, we’re celebrating another remarkable year of growth, collaboration and innovation at touchIMMUNOLOGY. From thought-provoking expert interviews and peer-reviewed research to dynamic conference coverage and an expanding portfolio of medical education, this year has been defined by meaningful conversations and impactful learning. We’ve had the privilege of engaging with leading clinicians, researchers and partner societies across the globe - bringing together diverse voices to support the immunology community with timely, accessible and authoritative content. As we reflect on the past 12 months, we’re proud to highlight the moments, milestones and stories that shaped our year. Here are just some of the standout highlights from 2025.
Liver disease continues to rise globally, yet remains under-recognized as a public health priority. The 2025 Global State of Liver Health Report from the Global Liver Institute offers a comprehensive assessment of disease burden, drivers, and inequities worldwide. In this interview, GLI President and CEO, Larry R. Holden examines the report’s key findings, the increasing burden of metabolic liver disease and alcohol-associated liver disease, and the urgent actions needed to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, and equitable access to care globally.
The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) has released a significant update to its practice guidance on metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formally incorporating semaglutide as a recommended therapeutic option for adults with MASH and F2–F3 fibrosis. This expansion comes following the August 2025 accelerated FDA approval of semaglutide for MASH with moderate-to-advanced fibrosis, following positive interim Phase 3 findings.
The AASLD 2025 Liver Meeting® (7–11 November, Washington, D.C., USA) delivered a breadth of early- and late-phase data across metabolic liver disease, cholestatic conditions, liver failure, and rare liver diseases. This year’s findings reflected a rapidly evolving therapeutic landscape, with meaningful progress in mechanistic understanding, emerging signals of disease modification, and increasing momentum toward more precise, combination-oriented strategies across multiple liver conditions.
The 33rd edition of United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week took place from 4–7 October 2025 at Messe Berlin, welcoming thousands of delegates both in-person and online through a hybrid format. Over four days, the congress once again proved to be a cornerstone of global collaboration in digestive health - uniting clinicians, researchers, and industry leaders to share the latest advances in gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy, and digestive science.
The ASSURE phase 3 trial (NCT03301506) is exploring the long-term safety and efficacy of seladelpar, a first-in-class PPAR-delta agonist, in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) who rolled over from the RESPONSE study. In this interview, Dr Andreas Kremer (University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland) discusses the aims of the trial and insights from its interim analysis, highlighting what these early findings could mean for the future of seladelpar in PBC management.
Cholestatic pruritus is one of the most distressing symptoms for patients living with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). In this exclusive interview, Dr Andreas Kremer (University Hospital Zurich) discusses the pivotal phase 3 GLISTEN trial, which demonstrated that the ileal bile acid transporter (IBAT) inhibitor linerixibat significantly improves itch severity and quality of life in patients with PBC. Dr Kremer also explains the mechanism of action, safety profile, and clinical impact of this promising new therapy for cholestatic pruritus.
The liver macrophage niche plays a central role in maintaining hepatic homeostasis and driving responses to injury. Advances in intravital microscopy are providing unprecedented insights into how these cells adapt in both health and disease, opening new avenues for understanding liver pathophysiology. In this Q&A, Dr Moritz Peiseler (Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany) highlights how intravital microscopy reveals the dynamic, environment-dependent behaviour of liver macrophages, showing early disease-related changes that could guide new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, while emphasizing the innate immune system’s memory and the potential for future human applications.
In this episode of Visionary Voices, we welcome Associate Professor Grace Vincent from CQUniversity’s Appleton Institute. A leading expert on sleep and shift work, Grace explores how disrupted sleep affects physician health in both the short and long term, as well as its impact on safety and performance. We also discuss what this means for patient outcomes and share practical strategies to manage sleep loss.
As touchIMMUNOLOGY approaches 5 years of providing education for busy healthcare professionals involved with immune-related conditions, we are looking to the future—and it certainly looks bright! This year, we are celebrating our inaugural touchIMMUNOLOGY Future Leaders to recognize the outstanding talent that has entered our field in recent years. These individuals are set to innovate and transform the field in the years to come.
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