S4-E17.6 - The Trajectory of Liver Science: How Far Have We Come?

Send us Fan MailSurfing the NASH Tsunami celebrates its 3rd anniversary since the debut episode posted on April 15, 2020. The Big Band of Stephen Harrison, Jörn Schattenberg, Louise Campbell and Roger Green get together to reflect on key moments from the podcast’s history as well as predict milestones that will make the highlights in a 6th anniversary special three years into the future.This conversation focuses more on the trajectory of liver science than on the podcast itself. Starting with Stephen, Roger asks what has played out in the last three years that would and would not have been expected. Stephen articulates a most cogent response to recap critical evolutions witnessed by the field over the past 36 months. Number one on this list is the “advancement of our understanding of the noninvasive technologies and the diagnostic algorithms that have reached alignment by multiple different societies.” This point leads to discussion of how he has come to think of the role of biopsy and comments around the development of cohesive guidance documents for diagnosing patients. An invaluable takeaway: “There is a roadmap to get people to therapy.” From here Stephen continues to elucidate on what’s happening in the biomarker field before expressing interest in what’s emerging from the developments of AI-assisted digital pathology. Lastly, Stephen underscores that a wealth of information is contributing to new targets for drug development trials. As the session winds down, Jörn highlights his excitement for both the acceleration of opportunities generated by drug companies and the ongoing strength in the role of academia.If you enjoy the special, have questions or interest around Fatty Liver disease, please let us know your ideas by writing to [email protected] and leaving a review wherever you download the discourse.Stay Safe and Surf On!