Advances II in GIT biology

Duration

20h Th, 10h AUTR

Number of credits

Lecturer

Olivier Detry, Nathalie Esser, Pierre Foidart, Nicholas Gilbo, Guy Jerusalem, Edouard Louis, Marie-Alice Meuwis, Nicolas Paquot, Catherine Reenaers

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

Ce lecture is shared in 3 parts :

1. N. Gilbo : Translational research in the field of liver preservation and transplantation.


This part will explain the principal models and techniques used in translational research in liver preservation and transplantation. It will first discuss the unmet clinical needs and gaps in knowledge regarding the pathophysiology of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury, with a particular focus on biliary tract preservation injury. Next, it will link these gaps to innovative animal models and models using human liver grafts declined for transplantation. It will then examine the biology of liver preservation and its evolution from static to dynamic preservation, including the mechanisms-still not fully understood-behind the protection offered by these newer preservation strategies and how to unravel them. Finally, it will cover frontier research in xenotransplantation and the emerging possibilities in translational research.


2.  P. Foidart :

This part of the course introduces the main biological principles underlying the development, classification and treatment of digestive cancers. It covers:

• the major classes of systemic anticancer treatments, including chemotherapy, targeted therapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors and antibody-drug conjugates;
• the hallmarks of cancer and their relevance to digestive tumors;
• the main epidemiological, pathological and molecular characteristics of esophageal, gastric, hepatobiliary, pancreatic and colorectal cancers;
• the major signaling pathways involved in digestive carcinogenesis;
• genomic instability and the biological basis of the main hereditary gastrointestinal cancer syndromes;
• the contribution of tumor-intrinsic features and the tumor microenvironment to therapeutic resistance, with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma as a representative example;
• the basic principles of radiobiology and the role of radiotherapy in digestive cancers.

• The identification of companion biomarkers through omics-based approaches and their comparison with established blood and fecal biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and fecal calprotectin.
• Potential tissue biomarkers and emerging technologies for their detection, as well as the value they may bring to clinical monitoring, the understanding of IBD pathophysiology, and the study of disease-related complications.
• The current gold standards for IBD monitoring and differential diagnosis, including endoscopy, histology, and confocal laser endomicroscopy.
• Colorectal cancer surveillance in IBD, from dysplasia detection to cancer development.
• Intestinal fibrosis and the current lack of effective antifibrotic therapies.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

The objective of this course is to provide students with an overview of translational research in the three major areas of digestive diseases in the broadest sense, and to understand how translational research can be conducted within the context of current state-of-the-art scientific knowledge.

This objective will be achieved through several steps:

"surgical research":

Ex cathedra lectures will cover the liver donation and transplantation pathway. They will place the effects of liver preservation injury in clinical context, highlight their impact on outcomes, and introduce clinical needs and research gaps. Students will gain an understanding of the pathophysiology of ischaemia-reperfusion injury, current knowledge gaps in bile duct ischaemia-reperfusion injury and its links to post-transplant biliary complications, the central role of mitochondria, and how preservation techniques have evolved to address mitochondrial impairment. The emerging role of potential biomarkers for liver selection during preservation-and their pitfalls and limitations-will also be discussed. Translational research approaches and methodologies (2D and 3D cell culture, small and large animal models, ex situ perfusion of human livers declined for transplantation, and the human decedent model) will be presented, with landmark studies used to illustrate their utility and link them to specific research questions. For each lecture, examples of relevant research questions will be provided, and students will be asked to take the role of a translational researcher and design an experimental set-up to test the hypothesis.

"ONCO research": 

Lectures will introduce the main biological principles underlying digestive cancers and their translation into clinical practice. Students will develop a general understanding of cancer hallmarks, molecular classification, genomic instability, hereditary predisposition, tumor-microenvironment interactions and the mechanisms of action of anticancer treatments. The radiobiology component will focus on the fundamental principles of radiotherapy and radiosensitivity, without requiring detailed knowledge of mathematical models, radiation doses or individual clinical trials.

As a collaborative assignment, students will critically analyse a scientific article published several years ago. From a contemporary perspective, they will identify the study's main strengths and limitations and propose modern experimental models and techniques that could strengthen the authors' conclusions or further test their hypotheses. The assignment aims to develop critical thinking and an understanding of how translational cancer research evolves with technological advances.

"MICI research":

IBD section: A lecture-based session will cover the background and challenges associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the physiological and pathophysiological roles of biomarkers in immune and inflammatory processes, and a better understanding of biomarker detection and measurement techniques. The course will also discuss how these biomarkers are used in the clinical management and treatment of IBD.

The concepts of causality versus simple associations observed in research will be addressed, together with the use of dynamic functional intestinal models and their limitations, including organoids, primary cells, tissue explants, and cohorts of biological samples from various sources.

A practical exercise involving the reading, analysis, and presentation of a translational research article in the field of IBD and/or IBD-associated oncology will be required. The selected articles, which will be provided by the instructor and may vary from year to year, will be completed either individually or in small groups, depending on class size. The articles and their analyses will also be discussed with the class.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Physiological and pathophysiological concepts of digestive diseases

Immunology and histology of the gastrointestinal tract

Basic principles of diagnostic biochemistry techniques, including ELISA, immunohistochemistry, and related methods

Basic concepts in biochemistry and human physiology, including energy metabolism and the regulation of energy substrates

 
 

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

slides presneted during the course
clinical cases
reference articles

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

face to face or distance-learning if necessary

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Platform(s) used for course materials:
- Microsoft Teams


Further information:

slides and references apper provided during lectures.

 

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )


Further information:

Any session :

- In-person : written exam

- Remote if required : written exam (multiple-choice questionnaire and short open question
maximum 2h of examination time for the 3 parts questions.

Work placement(s)

none

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

none since 2025-26

Contacts

Coordinator:

M-A MEUWIS (gastroenterology laboratory GIGA)

marie-alice.meuwis@uliege.be

B34, avn de l'hôpital 11
Quartier de l'Hôpital
4000 Liège, Sart-Tilman

Laboratory Phone: 0032.4.3662538

Office phone : 0032.4.3232892

Association of one or more MOOCs