Glycans are essential components of the gut mucosa that modulate epithelial barrier integrity, host–microbiota interactions and gut immune response. This Review discusses the role of mucosal glycans in gut homeostasis, in intestinal inflammation and their therapeutic potential for inflammatory bowel disease.

In this Review, Luedde and colleagues describe the complex role of regulated necrosis pathways, including necroptosis, pyroptosis and ferroptosis, in liver disease and cancer development. Potential therapeutic approaches modulating regulated cell death pathways in liver disease are explored.

Steatotic liver disease (SLD), which might lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, is on the rise worldwide. This Expert Recommendation draws on lessons learned to tackle viral hepatitis and proposes a framework for SLD screening and testing policies.

The elimination of hepatitis B will not be achieved through innovation alone. It requires dismantling the structural inequities that have long constrained who leads, funds and benefits from global hepatitis B research.

The gastrointestinal tract is a critical interface for microplastic and nanoplastic exposure, yet causal links to health outcomes remain uncertain. We outline current methodological challenges and provide a list of minimum standards for rigorous study design, standardized reporting and careful attention to interpretations to distinguish mechanism from signals.