Basic Science Emerging Topic Conference: The Intestinal Microbiome as an Approach to Liver Wellness

Session 1: A New Era of Liver Health: Unraveling the Complexities of Alcohol-Associated Disease Through Microbiome and Therapeutic Discoveries

Moderators: Suthat Liangpunsakul, MD, MPH, AGAF, FAASLD (Indiana University School of Medicine) and Cristina Llorente (UC San Diego)

• The Role of the Microbiome and Virome in Liver Pathophysiology
  Cynthia L. Hsu, MD, PhD (UC San Diego)
• Microbiota and Liver Health: Insights and Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment
  Jasmohan Bajaj, MD, FAASLD (Virginia Commonwealth University and Central Virginia Veterans Healthcare System)
• Uncovering the Role of Gut-Liver Axis and Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease
  Gyongyi Szabo, MD, PhD, FAASLD, AGAF, FACP (Harvard Medical School)
• The Protective Role of Batf3-Dependent Conventional Type 1 Dendritic Cells in Alcoholic Liver Disease: Exploring the Akkermansia Muciniphila Connection
  Liuyi Hao, PhD (Center for Translational Biomedical Research)

Session 2: Unlocking the Secrets of the Gut Microbiome: Implications for Metabolic Syndrome and Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease

Moderators: Cynthia L. Hsu, MD, PhD (UC San Diego) and Jasmohan Bajaj, MD, FAASLD (Virginia Commonwealth University and Central Virginia Veterans Healthcare System)

• Recent Advances in Prediction of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis: Insights from the Gut Microbiome 
  Rohit Loomba, MD, MHSc (University of California San Diego)
• Advancing Mass Spectrometry Insights in Metabolic Disorders and Liver Diseases 
  Ipsita Mohanty & Pieter Dorrestein
• The Role of Western Diet and Gut Microbiota in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis: Insights into Mediators and Therapeutic Targets
  Guangfu Li, PhD & DVM (University of Connecticut)
• The Gut Microbiota Rhythms in Metabolic Homeostasis and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis: Insights from Machine Learning Analyses
  Vanessa A. Leone, PhD (University of Chicago)

Session 3: Exploring the Revolutionary Potential of Gut-Liver Axis Research in Health and Disease

Moderators: Rohit Loomba, MD, MHSc (University of California San Diego) and Vanessa A. Leone, PhD (University of Chicago)

• Exploring Gut Microbiota Translocation to Liver and Spleen: Unveiling Commensal Bacteria and Systemic Immune Responses in Inflammatory Diseases
  Yasmine Belkaid, PhD (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
• Microbial Ethanol in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: Unraveling the Role of Gut Microbiome in Disease Progression
  Max Nieuwdorp, PROFDR (Amsterdam University Medical Centers)
• Unraveling the Role of Intestinal Osteopontin in Host-Microbiome Interactions and its Implications for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)
  Hui Han (University of Illinois College of Medicine, UIC)
• Deciphering BilR: A Gut Microbial Enzyme Orchestrating Bilirubin Reduction to Urobilinogen and Its Impact on Human Health
  Xiaofang Jiang, (National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda)

Session 4: New Insights on Combating Liver Disease: Cutting-Edge Research on Bacteriophages, Mycobiome, and Microbiome

Moderators: Max Nieuwdorp, PROFDR (Amsterdam University Medical Centers) and Marlies Meisel, PhD (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine)

• Exploring the Interplay of Microbiome, Mycobiome, and Bacteriophages in Liver Diseases 
  Bernd Schnabl, MD, AGAF, FAASLD (UC San Diego)
• Bridging the Gut-Liver Axis: Gut Microbiome's Influence on Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) Immune Microenvironment
  Amany Zekry (UNSW Microbiome Research Centre, St George and Sutherland Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, NSW, Australia)
• Host-Microbiome Interaction in Health and Disease
  Eren Elinav (Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel)
• Evaluating the Role of Evolutionary Adaptation in Commensal Pathogenicity: Insights into Bacterial Translocation to the Liver and Immune-Mediated Diseases
  Noah W. Palm, PhD (Yale University School of Medicine)

Session 5: Exploring the Microbiome Interactions with the Enteric Nervous System and The Immune System: Insights Into Liver Disease, Infectious Diseases, Diabetes, and Pioneering Clinical Trials

Moderators: Amany Zekry (UNSW Microbiome Research Centre) and Eren Elinav (Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel)

• Exploring the Role of the Liver Microbiome in Autoimmune Hepatitis
  Marlies Meisel, PhD (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine)
• Microbiota-Derived D-Lactate Enhances Neutrophil Recruitment to the Liver During Systemic Infections: Implications for Immune Defense
  Amanda Z. Zucoloto (University of Calgary)
• Translating Microbiome Discoveries: Pioneering Clinical Trials in Gastrointestinal Health
  Sahil Kanna (Mayo Clinic) 
• Unraveling the Role of Aberrant Serine Homeostasis in Diabetes: Implications for Multiple Organ Damage Including Liver, Kidneys, and Peripheral Nerves
  Michał Handzlik (The Salk Institute for Biological Studies) and Christian M. Metallo, PhD (The Salk
  Institute for Biological Studies)

Session 6: Meet the Speakers

The format of the discussion will involve a designated leader who will introduce a topic related to the microbiome. This introduction will be limited to a 5-minute time frame. Following the introduction, experts in the field will engage in a constructive dialogue to explore and discuss the importance of the microbiome. The aim of this format is to create an environment where experts can share their knowledge and insights in a collaborative manner, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding of the microbiome and its role in health and disease.

• Microbiome’s Role in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease: Insights from Leading Experts
  Leader: Cynthia L. Hsu, MD, PhD (UC San Diego)
  Discussion Team: Jasmohan Bajaj, MD, FAASLD, Gyongyi Szabo, MD, PhD,FAASLD, AGAF, FACP, and Liuyi Hao, PhD
• Exploring the Role of the Microbiome in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Metabolic Syndrome: Perspectives from Renowned Experts
  Leader: Vanessa A. Leone, PhD (University of Chicago)
  Discussion Team: Guangfu Li, PhD, DVM, Ipsita Mohanty, and Rohit Loomba, MD, MHSc 
• Revolutionizing Our Understanding of Liver Health: Insights from Experts in Microbiome Research
  Leader: Yasmine Belkaid 
  Discussion Team: Bernd Schnabl, MD, AGAF, FAASLD, Eren Elinav, and Yasmine Belkaid 
• Exploring Microbiome with Multifaceted Experts: Liver Disease, Infectious Diseases, Metabolic Disorders, Diabetes, and Clinical Trials
  Leader: Marlies Meisel, PhD
  Discussion Team: Sahil Khanna, Amanda Z. Zucoloto,and Max Nieuwdorp, PROFDR

Continuing Medical Education (CME)

Accreditation Statement: The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Designation Statement: AASLD designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 14.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

American Board of Internal Medicine Maintenance of Certification (MOC) 

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation components, enables the participant to earn up to 10.50 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

CME Credits

Physicians seeking AMA PRA Category 1 CME Credits™ for this live activity must complete the meeting evaluation for DDW 2024. A link to the CME evaluation will be emailed to attendees after the course.

ABIM MOC Points

Physicians seeking ABIM MOC points must complete the CME and MOC evaluations for DDW 2024. Requests for MOC points after this date will not be honored. The MOC evaluation will be available online along with the CME evaluation.