The International Symposium on "Diet, Liver Diseases, Liver Cancer Prevention from the Source"
The international symposium on "Diet, Liver Diseases, Liver Cancer Prevention from the Source" chaired by Prof. Ludovico Abenavoli from Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro in Italy, was held by Editorial Office of Hepatoma Research, on December 1, 2022.
In the symposium, five outstanding international guest speakers from Italy, Belgium, Egypt, the United States and Serbia delivered impressive speeches and had in-depth academic exchanges, which attracted more than 150 eminent clinicians and academics from all over the world.
Prof. Vladimir Milivojevic comes from the University Clinical Center of Serbia in Serbia. He gave a comprehensive presentation focusing on "Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD), Nutrition and Microbiota-bidirectional Link". He pointed out that high MAFLD phenotype heterogeneity, microbiota phenotype heterogeneity and complex gut-liver-nutrition interrelationship warrant a precise, tailored therapy aimed at different key points of MAFLD pathogenesis.
MAFLD, Nutrition and Microbiota-bidirectional Link
Prof. Luigi Boccuto, Clinical Assistant Professor at Clemson University School of Health Research (CUSHR) in the United States, dealt with the topic “Genetic Factors in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)”. He mainly concluded that the increasing availability of “Omic” technologies suggests the implementation of genomic profiling in subjects affected with (or at high risk for) NAFLD and precision medicine approaches in the treatment of NAFLD will benefit from genomic information.
Prof. Ludovico Abenavoli, the chair of the webinar, thought NAFLD and its alimentary approach is a “hot topic” for the scholars engaged in the study of liver steatosis; thus, he put the Mediterranean diet in the center of the treatment of the NAFLD. The components of that diet are low-calorie fresh (or conserved without the addition of chemical preservatives) vegetables and fruits with low quantities of olive oil and some wine.
Dr. Emidio Scarpellini, a researcher at the Gasthuisberg University Hospital of Leuven in Belgium, also gave an informative talk on the topic “Gut Microbiota and Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)”. He summarized several meaningful points: (1) Gut dysbiosis is responsible for the immune response switch within the liver in tumor initiation and progression; (2) Certain gut dysbiosis is associated with HCC responses to both anti-angiogenetic and check-point inhibitors responses; (3) Gut microbiota can be used as a biomarker for early HCC diagnosis and treatment-response prediction; (4) Gut dysbiosis modulation shows promising perspectives of use for HCC add-on Treatment.
Gut Microbiota and HCC Development
The president and founder of the Egyptian MAFLD research group (EMRG), Prof. Yasser Fouad from Minia University in Egypt, discussed the topic “Diet and MAFLD” and summarized the dietary recommendations in MAFLD from a professional perspective.
During the free discussion, Prof. Giuliano Ramadori, the Executive Editor Chief of Hepatoma Research had a lively, wonderful discussion with all speakers on some topics:
Nicotera is a beautiful village on the coast. The diet there was quite calorie poor. And Ancel Kyes didn’t originally start with Nicotera but then he left it out in his seven country studies because it doesn’t appear anymore. Why was that?
In many cases, patients with NAFLD have comorbidity treated by drugs (like diabetes). What about treating those two conditions with one drug (like in diabetes: metformin or Liraglutide, SGLT2inhibitors)?
What about the new generation of probiotics to treat NAFLD patients and for the regulation of these biosis? What is your opinion on the basis of recently published articles?
What about a vegan diet in the prevention and treatment of hepatocarcinoma and liver disease? It could be useful, considering that fish today. Is often rich in heavy metals and plastic that are so harmful? Could it be better for a good gut microbiota too?
What about the Japanese diet?
etc.
Discussion Part 1 & Discussion Part 2
The Special Issue "Diet, Liver Diseases, Liver Cancer Prevention from the Source" led by Prof. Ludovico Abenavoli is open for high-quality submissions. Welcome to submit your manuscript at: https://oaemesas.com/login?JournalId=hr&SpecialIssueId=520.
