BARCELONA—The basis of genetic ancestry (and race) underlying differences in disease occurrence, outcomes or response to treatment remains unclear and most often racial and ethnic diversity is underrepresented in clinical research contributing to further expand the gap of health inequities. According to the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study, complications of cirrhosis accounted for 1 million deaths worldwide and caused 31 million disability adjusted life years (DALYs) that year. Noteworthy, liver cirrhosis mortality in Mexico was the highest in Latin America in 2010 with a mortality rate of 38.3 per 100,000. Patients with acute decompensation of cirrhosis suddenly develop ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, or any combination thereof. The CANONIC study, the first large, observational study carried out in Europe by the European Association for the Study of the Liver-Chronic Liver Failure (EASL-CLIF) Consortium, identified acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) as a distinct syndrome that develops in 30% of patients with acute decompensation of cirrhosis, and is characterized by acute systemic inflammation, multi-system organ failure, and a high risk of death within 28 days after hospital admission. The ACLARA study – Prevalence, epidemiology, characterization and mechanism of ACLF in Latin America – sheds new light on the potential impact of genetic ancestry and reported race on the severity of ACLF and risk of short-term mortality. The study carried out in 1274 patients non-electively hospitalized for acute decompensation of cirrhosis in 44 university hospitals from 27 cities in 7 Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru), highlights the importance of including genetic ancestry (and race) in liver disease research and clinical practice for being variables that capture relevant epidemiological information. Findings from this study, published ahead of print in Gastroenterology, show that social factors (i.e., admission to public hospitals compared to private hospitals) and markers of organ function independently correlate with higher short-term mortality. The data also suggest an association between increased percentage of Native American ancestry (and reported race) and development of ACLF independent of alcohol-related hepatitis and bacterial infections, two major precipitant events of acute decompensation of cirrhosis and progression to ACLF.

The CHANCE study aims to recruit 2000 patients by the end of 2023. With 58 actively recruiting centers in 20 countries across the world, we are confident that CHANCE will render positive results and provide answers to our primary objective: To compare 1-year graft and patient survival rates after liver transplantation in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) grade 2 or 3 at the time of liver transplantation with patients with decompensated cirrhosis without ACLF and transplant-free survival of patients with ACLF grade 2 or 3 not listed for liver transplantation.

ROTTERDAM—The 4th CHANCE Investigator Meeting took place in Rotterdam, The Netherlands on the occasion of the 2023 International Congress of ILTS, ELITA and LICAGE (ILTS 2023). The CHANCE investigator meeting brought together 35 investigators and professionals from 12 countries (Argentina, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Spain, The Netherlands, UK, and USA), 22 people attended in person and 13 joined online, to review and discuss project progress and address challenges of patient recruitment and data collection.

The CANONIC study – European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL)–Chronic Liver Failure (CLIF) Consortium acute-on-chronic liver failure in cirrhosis – was unprecedented in its scope and findings providing the means for the first evidence-based definition of the syndrome referred to as "acute-on-chronic liver failure" (ACLF). Although no universal definition of ACLF has been yet recognized, the EASL-CLIF Consortium diagnostic criteria has been applied and validated worldwide. Results from the CANONIC study opened up a new venue of liver disease research that will continue expanding in the following years.

In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we want to raise awareness of the work of women in hepatology and inspire the next generation of budding scientists.

In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we want to raise awareness of the work of women in hepatology and inspire the next generation of budding scientists.

In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we want to raise awareness of the work of women in hepatology and inspire the next generation of budding scientists.

In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we want to raise awareness of the work of women in hepatology and inspire the next generation of budding scientists.

In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we want to raise awareness of the work of women in hepatology and inspire the next generation of budding scientists.

In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we want to raise awareness of the work of women in hepatology and inspire the next generation of budding scientists.

In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Ingrid gives insights into her work and shares her hopes and research goals as a scientist.

In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we want to raise awareness of the work of women in hepatology and inspire the next generation of budding scientists.

BARCELONA—The 5th MICROB-PREDICT General Assembly meeting took place in Budapest, Hungary, from 17 to 19 January 2023. Partners from 16 institutions in 10 countries met to review progress within MICROB-PREDICT and set the ALB trial up for success.