Digestive Disorders
An introduction to touchGASTROENTEROLOGY
Inflammatory bowel disease is a term used to describe chronic, relapsing inflammatory disorders of the digestive tract. The major types are ulcerative colitis, which causes inflammation in the colon, and Crohn’s disease, which may affect any part of the digestive tract, from mouth to anus. Symptoms include abdominal pain, blood in the stool, irregular bowel habits, weight loss and fatigue. Established treatment options are surgery, aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunomodulators and anti-TNFα inhibitors; however, many patients will fail to respond or become refractory to these therapies. Emerging therapies include anti-integrin therapy, JAK1 inhibitors, sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulators, stem-cell transplant and faecal microbiota transplant.
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Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2026 took place in Chicago from May 2–5, bringing together global experts in gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy, and gastrointestinal surgery. The meeting showcased a wide range of clinical and translational research, including late-breaking data, novel therapeutics, and emerging technologies, alongside interactive sessions designed to advance understanding and improve patient care.
Guselkumab is a selective IL-23 inhibitor approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease, following the positive efficacy and safety findings from the phase 3 GALAXI 2 & 3 studies. A long-term extension study of the trials is currently ongoing with the Week 96 results recently presented at DDW 2026. In this interview, Professor Remo Panaccione explores the current role of guselkumab in the treatment paradigm for CD, and discusses the aims, design and Week 96 findings from the long term extension of GALAXI 2 & 3.
Early data from the phase 2b DUET-UC trial suggest the first co-antibody therapy JNJ-78934804 may offer a new strategy for treatment-refractory ulcerative colitis by simultaneously targeting TNF and IL-23 pathways. In an interview, Dr Maria T. Abreu discusses unmet needs in UC, the rationale for dual-pathway inhibition, and the design and key outcomes of the study.
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, touchIMMUNOLOGY Future Leader Dr Nuru Noor discusses what inspired his career in gastroenterology, the mentors and colleagues who have guided him, and the critical importance of addressing difficult-to-treat IBD phenotypes to advance patient care.
Every May, United European Gastroenterology (UEG) marks Digestive Health Month; a pan-European awareness campaign dedicated to improving prevention and early detection of digestive diseases and cancers. Bringing together UEG’s scientific expertise and advocacy work, the campaign creates a coordinated effort engaging healthcare professionals, medical societies, patient organizations, policymakers and other key stakeholders in shared priorities in digestive health.
The phase 2b, placebo-controlled TUSCANY-2 study (NCT04090411) investigated afimkibart, a TL1A inhibitor, for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). In this Q&A, Maggie Neighbors (Genentech Inc., USA) outlines the mechanism of action of afimkibart and the aims and design of the phase 2b TUSCANY-2 study, including the application of high-sensitivity serum proteomics, and discusses the study’s key findings and how they extend previous data.
EoE is a progressive inflammatory disease that can lead to fibrostenotic remodeling and esophageal narrowing if untreated. In an interview, Dr Evan Dellon discusses disease progression, the role of dupilumab in EoE, and the phase 4 REMODEL trial (NCT06101095), which evaluates whether IL-4/IL-13 blockade can improve esophageal distensibility and influence structural disease changes.
Ustekinumab is an IL-12/IL-23 inhibitor being evaluated in pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC), where treatment options remain limited. In this Q&A, Dr Jeffrey Hyams discusses the need for additional mechanisms beyond anti-TNF therapy in children with UC, the rationale and design of the phase 3 UNIFI Jr study, and its key findings on efficacy and safety across induction and maintenance, including outcomes at Weeks 8 and 52.
Several presentations and abstracts from last month’s European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) 2026 congress highlighted emerging concepts extending beyond therapeutic efficacy in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These included new insights into the gut–brain axis, comparative safety across therapies, artificial intelligence (AI) tools for clinical practice, comorbid metabolic disease and molecular approaches to defining disease remission. Together, these studies illustrate the expanding scope of IBD research and the growing focus on more comprehensive approaches to disease assessment and management.
The UEG Rising Star Awards celebrate and support the most promising early-career clinical and research scientists in gastroenterology and digestive health, recognizing their high-quality work and fostering their development within the international UEG community. By highlighting the achievements of young gastroenterologists and giving them a platform to present at UEG Week and engage with peers and mentors, the initiative helps accelerate their research impact and career growth. We asked each of the winners what the award meant to them and to their career.
UEG’s newly appointed Research Committee Chair, Prof. Chloé Melchior, shares her priorities for strengthening collaborative research, her vision for advancing digestive health across Europe, and her perspective on supporting the next generation of gastroenterologists. She also offers insights into her work on gut–brain interactions and the future of neuro-gastroenterology.
As the field of immunology continues to evolve, staying ahead of the curve has never been more critical. As we welcome the new year, we asked our touchIMMUNOLOGY 2025 Future Leaders to share the developments they believe will shape the future of the field. Here, they highlight five emerging areas poised to influence clinical practice—not only in the year ahead, but for years to come.
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.
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.
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