{"title":"Metabolic diseases in the East Asian populations","authors":"Zhonghan Sun \u0000 (, ), Yan Zheng \u0000 (, )","doi":"10.1038/s41575-025-01058-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41575-025-01058-8","url":null,"abstract":"East Asian populations, which account for approximately 20% of the global population, have become central to the worldwide rise of metabolic diseases over the past few decades. The prevalence of metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, has escalated sharply, contributing to a substantial burden of complications such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, cancer and increased mortality. This concerning trend is primarily driven by a combination of genetic predisposition, unique fat distribution patterns and rapidly changing lifestyle factors, including urbanization and the adoption of Westernized dietary habits. Current advances in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and microbiome research have provided new insights into the biological mechanisms that might contribute to the heightened susceptibility of East Asian populations to metabolic diseases. This Review synthesizes epidemiological data, risk factors and biomarkers to provide an overview of how metabolic diseases are reshaping public health in East Asia and offers insights into biological and societal drivers to guide effective, region-specific strategies. The East Asian population is experiencing a continuous rise in metabolic disease burden. This Review provides a detailed account of epidemiological data and discusses risk factors and therapeutic approaches, offering valuable insights into region-specific drivers and therapeutic strategies.","PeriodicalId":18793,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Gastroenterology &Hepatology","volume":"22 7","pages":"500-516"},"PeriodicalIF":51.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143797750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dominique Scherer, Rajiv Kumar, Justo Lorenzo Bermejo, on behalf of EULAT Eradicate GBC
{"title":"International collaborative research to improve gallbladder cancer prevention","authors":"Dominique Scherer, Rajiv Kumar, Justo Lorenzo Bermejo, on behalf of EULAT Eradicate GBC","doi":"10.1038/s41575-025-01061-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41575-025-01061-z","url":null,"abstract":"The European–Latin American Research Consortium towards Eradication of Preventable Gallbladder Cancer (EULAT Eradicate GBC) is identifying geographical, environmental, lifestyle, genetic and molecular risk factors for gallbladder cancer. Collaborative research is essential to improve prevention of this aggressive tumour, especially in high-incidence, low-income and middle-income regions.","PeriodicalId":18793,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Gastroenterology &Hepatology","volume":"22 5","pages":"293-294"},"PeriodicalIF":51.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143775568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Incorporating genetic variations in alcohol-associated liver disease trials for East Asian populations","authors":"Bossng Kang \u0000 (, )","doi":"10.1038/s41575-025-01060-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41575-025-01060-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18793,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Gastroenterology &Hepatology","volume":"22 5","pages":"357-357"},"PeriodicalIF":51.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143695501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mack C. Mitchell, Brian P. Lee, Jessica Mellinger, Laura E. Nagy
{"title":"Reply to ‘Incorporating genetic variations in alcohol-associated liver disease trials for East Asian populations’","authors":"Mack C. Mitchell, Brian P. Lee, Jessica Mellinger, Laura E. Nagy","doi":"10.1038/s41575-025-01059-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41575-025-01059-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18793,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Gastroenterology &Hepatology","volume":"22 5","pages":"358-358"},"PeriodicalIF":51.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143695504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Carmen Ortuño-Costela, Massimo Pinzani, Ludovic Vallier
{"title":"Cell therapy for liver disorders: past, present and future","authors":"M. Carmen Ortuño-Costela, Massimo Pinzani, Ludovic Vallier","doi":"10.1038/s41575-025-01050-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41575-025-01050-2","url":null,"abstract":"The liver fulfils a plethora of vital functions and, due to their importance, liver dysfunction has life-threatening consequences. Liver disorders currently account for more than two million deaths annually worldwide and can be classified broadly into three groups, considering their onset and aetiology, as acute liver diseases, inherited metabolic disorders and chronic liver diseases. In the most advanced and severe forms leading to liver failure, liver transplantation is the only treatment available, which has many associated drawbacks, including a shortage of organ donors. Cell therapy via fully mature cell transplantation is an advantageous alternative that may be able to restore a damaged organ’s functionality or serve as a bridge until regeneration can occur. Pioneering work has shown that transplanting adult hepatocytes can support liver recovery. However, primary hepatocytes cannot be grown extensively in vitro as they rapidly lose their metabolic activity. Therefore, different cell sources are currently being tested as alternatives to primary cells. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cells, chemically induced liver progenitors, or ‘liver’ organoids, hold great promise for developing new cell therapies for acute and chronic liver diseases. This Review focuses on the advantages and drawbacks of distinct cell sources and the relative strategies to address different therapeutic needs in distinct liver diseases. The burden of liver disorders increases worldwide as does the necessity for new treatments. This Review discusses cell therapy as an alternative therapeutic strategy for liver transplantation, the pros and cons, and the future technological potential.","PeriodicalId":18793,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Gastroenterology &Hepatology","volume":"22 5","pages":"329-342"},"PeriodicalIF":51.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143639970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}