全世界胃腸道疾病的巨大健康和經濟負擔使得人們必須高度重視新療法的病因、流行病學、預防、診斷、治療和發展。到上個世紀末，我們已經看到了巨大的進步，無論是在可視化疾病的技術上，還是在胃潰瘍等領域的治療上，H2拮抗劑的出現，然后質子泵抑制劑的出現，都清楚地說明了醫學的進步如何能使患者受益。然而，專家們面臨著來自各種病因的疾病的持續挑戰。在相關的肝病領域，僅在美國，肝病和肝硬化是25-64歲成年人的第七大死因。具體來說，乙型肝炎的傳染性是艾滋病病毒的100倍，目前全世界有5%的人口受到感染。隨著科學界和臨床界用新技術、新的治療和診斷方式以及在分子水平上對疾病的新理解來應對這些挑戰，科學文獻正在爆炸性地激增。胃腸病和肝病專家評論（ISSN1747-4124）提供了最新研究和臨床進展的全面報道。該雜志關注我們對影響胃腸道和肝臟疾病的病理、生化和生理學理解的最新進展，以及預防、診斷和干預策略的最新發展。文章涵蓋以下關鍵領域：?對消化系統及其相關器官疾病的病理、生化和生理學理解的最新進展?研究策略的發展，如放射學、內窺鏡檢查、膽胰造影、結腸鏡檢查和肝活檢?分子診斷和生物標記研究進展?藥理學方法和新興治療學的最新進展?藥物安全性?疾病特異性綜述，包括消化癌、肝炎感染、肝硬化、炎癥性腸病、功能性胃腸道疾病、膽道和膽囊疾病的報道。?針對診斷和問題，如吸收、營養和生長，對兒童消化系統疾病進行最佳管理。?心理社會方面?藥理學和結果研究，輔以成本效益分析專家評審的形式是獨特的，因為它培養了一種前瞻性的思維方式。每一次審查都提供了對關鍵領域當前理解的完整概述，并通過以下關鍵部分加以補充：專家意見-對本文中所述數據的個人觀點，對未來可能重要的發展的討論，以及隨著進一步研究產生更詳細的結果，研究的途徑可能變得令人興奮。文章重點——作者最關鍵點的執行摘要所有評審都要接受同行評審，至少要進行三次獨立評審。胃腸病和肝病專家評審為本專業所有專業人員提供了一個系統、權威的分析和辯論的平臺。

The enormous health and economic burden of gastrointestinal disease worldwide warrants a sharp focus on the etiology, epidemiology, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and development of new therapies. By the end of the last century we had seen enormous advances, both in technologies to visualize disease and in curative therapies in areas such as gastric ulcer, with the advent first of the H2-antagonists and then the proton pump inhibitors - clear examples of how advances in medicine can massively benefit the patient. Nevertheless, specialists face ongoing challenges from a wide array of diseases of diverse etiology. In the related field of hepatology, liver disease and cirrhosis are the seventh leading cause of death among adults between 25–64 years of age in the USA alone. Specifically, Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than the AIDS virus and currently 5% of the population, worldwide, is infected. As the scientific and clinical communities address these challenges with new technologies, new therapeutic and diagnostic modalities and new understanding of disease at the molecular level, the scientific literature is proliferating explosively. Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology (ISSN 1747-4124) provides comprehensive coverage of state-of-the-art research and clinical advancements in the field as they occur. The journal focuses on the latest advances in our pathological, biochemical and physiological understanding of the diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract and liver, in addition to up-to-the-minute developments in strategies for prevention, diagnosis and intervention. Article coverage includes the following key areas: ? Latest advances in pathological, biochemical and physiological understanding of the diseases of the digestive system and its associated organs ? Developments in investigative strategies; such as radiology, endoscopy, cholangiopancreatography, colonoscopy and liver biopsy ? Advances in molecular diagnosis and biomarker research ? Recent developments in pharmacological approaches and emerging therapeutics ? Drug safety ? Disease-specific reviews, including coverage of digestive cancers, hepatitis infections, liver cirrhosis, inflammatory bowel disease, functional gastrointestinal disorder, and biliary and gall bladder disease ? Optimal management of pediatric digestive diseases, with regard to diagnosis and issues, such as absorption, nutrition and growth ? Psychosocial aspects ? Pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research, supplemented by cost–benefit analysis The Expert Review format is unique in that it fosters a forward-thinking approach. Each review provides a complete overview of current understanding in a key area, which is augmented by the following key sections: Expert Opinion - a personal view of the data presented in the article, a discussion on the developments that are likely to be important in the future, and the avenues of research likely to become exciting as further studies yield more detailed results Article Highlights – an executive summary of the author’s most critical points All reviews are subject to peer review, with a minimum of three independent evaluations. Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology provides a forum for systematic, authoritative analysis and debate for all professionals within this specialty.