Recent advances in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapeutics include novel medical, surgical, and endoscopic treatments. Among these, stem cell therapy is still in its infancy, though multiple studies suggest the immunomodulatory effect of stem cell therapy may reduce inflammation and tissue injury in IBD patients. This review discusses the novel avenue of stem cell therapy and its potential role in the management of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. We conducted a comprehensive literature search to identify studies examining the role of stem cell therapy (without conditioning and immunomodulatory regimens) in IBD. Taken together these studies suggest a promising role for SCT in IBD, although the substantial challenges, such as cost and inadequate/incomplete characterization of effect limit their current use in clinical practice.

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The following, from the 12th OESO World Conference: Cancers of the Esophagus, includes commentaries on the animal reflux-inflammation models for Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma; genomic/epigenomic analyses; eflornithine-based combinations; the molecular derangements that promote neoplastic transformation; the role of COX-2 inhibitors, proton pump inhibitors, and phase II trials in Barrett's adenocarcinoma; statins in chemoprevention and treatment of esophageal cancer; and biomarkers as potential targets in Barrett's adenocarcinoma.