https://medicalxpress.com/gastroenterology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Gastroenterology Researchers at City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the country, led the development of a new investigational blood test that could detect pancreatic cancer at its earliest stages, when the disease is more treatable and potentially curable. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-blood-pancreatic-cancer-earliest-stages.html Wed, 16 Sep 2026 05:00:04 EDT news708611401 The human intestine is a soft, flexible tissue. Yet the environments traditionally used to culture intestinal cells in the laboratory are strikingly different from those found in the body. Conventional culture platforms are made of synthetic materials that are far stiffer than native intestinal tissue. Could we instead provide cells with an environment that more closely resembles the intestine? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-culture-membrane-mimics-native-intestinal.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 14:40:01 EDT news708691381 Targeting the gut microbiome with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) may help cancer patients with immunotherapy-related colitis avoid the need for steroids and other immunosuppressive treatments, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-fecal-microbiota-transplantation-immunotherapy-colitis.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:40:05 EDT news708691801 A new UCLA study has found a connection between how quickly the brain ages and the bacteria and chemical byproducts found in the gut, offering a clue to what drives brain aging long before symptoms appear. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-brain-aging-decades-symptoms-links.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 16:20:01 EDT news708343682 UCI Health, the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine, is conducting a first-in-human, Phase I clinical trial using laser light to target localized but inoperable pancreatic tumors to help patients become cancer-free. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-human-inoperable-pancreatic-tumors-laser.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:40:04 EDT news708341281 Researchers have taken an important step toward solving one of the biggest challenges in gene therapy for children with metabolic liver disorders: growth itself. As a child's liver grows, some gene therapies that once worked can gradually lose their effect because the treated cells are eventually outnumbered by new, untreated ones. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-gene-advance-treatment-rare-liver.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:20:09 EDT news708340202 That morning brew may be doing you more harm than good. A study of almost 1 million tea and coffee drinkers has linked very hot drinks to a threefold greater risk of developing one type of esophageal cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-hot-tea-coffee-linked-greater.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:30:01 EDT news708336436 University of Warwick researchers have analyzed data from more than 1.9 million people across 23 studies and found that ADHD is linked to an almost 50% increase in overall gastrointestinal symptoms compared with people without ADHD. The association was even stronger for specific problems: nearly double the odds of constipation, a 58% increase in irritable bowel syndrome, and more than four times the odds of encopresis (loss of bowel control). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-people-adhd-gut-problems-major.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 19:10:01 EDT news708257581 UCLA researchers have identified a pathway in liver cells that may explain how statins could help prevent or slow the development of liver cancer associated with fatty liver disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-scientists-uncover-cells-primary-liver.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 16:40:03 EDT news708274201 New research from the University of Oklahoma identifies a protein in liver cells that appears to help drive the development of liver cancer associated with obesity-related fatty liver disease. The finding, published in Hepatology, points to the protein as a potential new therapeutic target for liver cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-protein-linked-cell-death-liver.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 16:20:09 EDT news708262779 The pathogen Clostridioides difficile (C. diff)—a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections—must contend with a variety of threats inside the harsh environment of the gut to survive and grow. Researchers at Vanderbilt Health have discovered a unique system C. diff uses to simultaneously sense and respond to two different threats: host-mediated nutrient deprivation and a microbiota-produced antibiotic compound. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-diff-threat-response-survive-gut.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:40:01 EDT news708258061 Most patients with localized appendix cancer may be able to safely avoid chemotherapy after surgery, according to a new study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-patients-appendix-cancer-chemotherapy-surgery.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 19:00:07 EDT news708193261 A common liver condition thought to be harmless could be dramatically increasing the risk of heart disease, kidney failure and premature death, according to a new review led by University of Manchester and Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-symptomless-liver-condition-linked-heart.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:00:14 EDT news708174002 Roughly half the world's population is infected with the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which is responsible for about 90% of gastric cancers. However, until now, it has been unclear why some H. pylori infections lead to a rare form of lymphoma in the stomach while others don't. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-immune-protein-loss-rare-stomach.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:00:14 EDT news708158882 Colonoscopies are one of the most effective ways to prevent colorectal cancer, which is surging among young adults in the U.S. Yet, the quality of each procedure can vary substantially from one physician to another. As a result, medical societies recommend routinely reviewing every colonoscopist—something that's challenging and time-consuming for practices to implement. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-colonoscopies-ai-scale.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:20:13 EDT news708162181 One of the above images is real; the other is AI-generated. Can you tell which is which? The images depict intestinal polyps, often benign growths on the inside of the colon or rectum. Polyps are usually removed because some can develop into bowel cancer over time. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-ai-doctors-intestinal-disease.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 19:20:08 EDT news708101161 Exposure to the stomach microbe Helicobacter pylori may be associated with more than 1 in 5 cases of colorectal cancer worldwide, suggests an exploratory risk-attribution study published in the journal eGastroenterology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-stomach-microbe-exposure-linked-bowel.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 18:30:03 EDT news707993237 Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common chronic liver disease, affecting an estimated 38% of adults worldwide. Its progressive form, MASH, is characterized by inflammation and damage to liver cells and can lead to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, among other complications. MASH is also becoming an increasingly important reason for liver transplantation. The disease is frequently associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and kidney disease. Diets high in sugar and fat, as well as physical inactivity, are among the factors contributing to its increasing prevalence. MASH is also becoming increasingly common in children. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-mash-require-personalized-treatment-distinct.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 15:20:03 EDT news708097018 New research finds that probiotic supplement use has surged in the United States, while the consumption of microbiome-supportive foods has remained virtually unchanged. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-probiotic-surges-microbiome-food-consumption.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 14:20:06 EDT news708090721 QIMR Berghofer researchers have identified a strong genetic link between gut-related health conditions and depression in a study offering new insights into why physical illnesses often accompany the mental health condition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-depression-factors-overlap-physical-illnesses.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:20:12 EDT news708076801 A new study by investigators at Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University has identified differences in the makeup and organization of the small bowel microbiome between women and men. The findings, published in iScience, could offer new insights into why some conditions are more prevalent in women. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-small-bowel-microbiome-clues-women.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 15:20:08 EDT news708009843 The gut microbiome has been a popular topic for a while now, but the focus is usually on good bacteria. A new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that we may want to pay attention to the fungi in our guts as well. The study examined the effects of radiation on mice, comparing mice inoculated with a filamentous fungus called Mucor racemosus with a control group, and found that M. racemosus facilitated processes that protected the mice from radiation damage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-understudied-gut-fungus-dna-limit.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 12:00:04 EDT news707998032 Researchers at the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, together with international collaborators, have discovered that a small molecule made exclusively by gut bacteria can actively drive disease in the bile ducts and worsen primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a serious liver and bile duct disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-gut-derived-bacterial-molecule-severe.html Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:40:03 EDT news707743862 Since its discovery, the highly contagious bacterium Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile or C. diff) has been reported not to cause symptoms in infants, leading to the assumption that colonization was not a serious health issue. In a new study, researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) are challenging that long-held assumption, with findings suggesting that the bacterium can reshape the developing infant gut and may have long-term consequences. The findings are published in the journal Science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-difficile-colonization-infants-reshapes-gut.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:00:27 EDT news707494981 A liver disease affecting nearly 30% of adults worldwide is not a single illness but five biologically distinct subtypes, Mayo Clinic researchers have found. Each carries different risks for heart disease, liver failure, cancer and the need for liver transplantation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-subtypes-common-liver-disease-rapidly.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:20:13 EDT news707645679 A 3-year-old girl has died from a rare illness after visiting a petting zoo in Victoria. She developed brain damage and kidney failure after spending weeks in intensive care. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-petting-zoos-safe.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 07:40:04 EDT news707633942 People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who have several close relatives with colorectal cancer are significantly more likely to develop the disease themselves. This is demonstrated by a new Swedish registry study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal Gastroenterology. The findings raise the question of whether future cancer screening guidelines should place greater emphasis on the number of cancer cases in a patient's family. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-family-cancer-burden-patients-inflammatory.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 02:00:01 EDT news707563561 Liver cancer is difficult to treat because tumors vary greatly from patient to patient. Researchers at the University of Basel have captured this diversity by creating a collection of mini-tumors, which they use to systematically search for new treatment options. They tested more than 1,600 compounds using these organoids and used the results to develop promising drug combinations. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-mini-tumors-reveal-drug-combinations.html Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:00:01 EDT news707582281 High-fructose corn syrup is just one of many food additives linked to obesity. It is typically found in sweetened beverages and processed foods and is added to enhance flavor and sweetness. However, exactly how it contributes to weight gain and obesity is not completely understood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-scientists-fructose-obesity.html Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:50:02 EDT news707572905 A new study published in Nature Aging on Aug. 25 reports that a single gut bacterium—Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum (BP)—together with a small molecule it produces, 5-aminovaleric acid betaine (5-AVAB), can alleviate multiple hallmarks of aging and extend healthy lifespan in mice, opening a promising avenue toward healthier aging in humans. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-gut-bacterium-metabolite-delay-aging.html Tue, 01 Sep 2026 16:40:10 EDT news707492581