Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have shown that exhaled breath can reflect the composition of the gut microbiome, opening the door to a rapid, noninvasive way to assess gut health. The findings were published in Cell Metabolism. The study demonstrates that gut microbes release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during digestion, which are expelled through the lungs and detectable in breath. By analyzing breath and stool samples from healthy children, researchers found a strong correspondence between specific breath compounds and the microbes present in the gut. Similar results were confirmed in…
Author: Abhay Panchal
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have uncovered a key immune pathway that may explain why patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) face a markedly higher risk of colorectal cancer. The findings, published in Immunity, point to new opportunities for risk stratification, monitoring, and prevention in IBD care. The study centers on TL1A, an inflammatory signaling protein already implicated in IBD and a current therapeutic target in clinical trials. Using preclinical models, investigators showed that TL1A drives tumor-promoting inflammation indirectly—by activating gut-resident innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s). Once activated, these cells release GM-CSF, triggering a systemic response known as emergency granulopoiesis, in…
A recent analysis explores the growing clinical interest in postbiotics—non-viable microbial products such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bacterial lysates, and microbial metabolites—as a potential next phase in microbiome-based therapy. Unlike probiotics, postbiotics do not contain live organisms, which makes them mechanistically attractive for patients who cannot tolerate probiotics or are at higher risk for adverse effects. Proposed benefits include improved gut barrier integrity, immune modulation, anti-inflammatory effects, and metabolic signaling, largely driven by SCFAs like butyrate and propionate.
Gastroenterology reimbursement continues to erode under Medicare and commercial payment models, even as operating costs, staffing pressures and inflation rise. From steep long-term inflation-adjusted cuts to new 2026 ASC reductions, here are 10 data points illustrating how reimbursement trends are reshaping GI practice economics: 1. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, Medicare will reduce payments for GI endoscopy services performed in ASCs by an average of 8%, while increasing reimbursement for office-based E/M visits. 2. Between 2018 and 2023, inflation-adjusted Medicare payments to physicians for colonoscopies declined by more than 22%, according to The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a medical device early alert for certain lots of AXIOS Stent and Electrocautery-Enhanced Delivery System manufactured by Boston Scientific, following reports of deployment failures that may result in serious injury, procedural complications, or death. The affected devices are used in therapeutic endoscopy for transgastric or transduodenal drainage of pancreatic fluid collections (including pseudocysts and walled-off necrosis) and, in select high-risk patients, for gallbladder drainage in acute cholecystitis. According to the FDA, the issue occurs during stent delivery and deployment, when the device may fail to expand or deploy as intended. Successfully implanted…
Salvo Health has raised $8.5 million in Series A funding to accelerate its hybrid, AI-enhanced care model designed to support gastrointestinal and metabolic care delivery through existing GI practices. The round was led by ManchesterStory, City Light Capital, and Threshold Ventures, with participation from new and existing investors including The Artemis Fund, Torch Capital, Felicis Ventures, and others. The raise brings Salvo’s total equity funding to $21.6 million. Salvo positions itself as an enablement layer for GI providers, offering a wraparound, continuous-care platform that integrates registered dietitians, behavioral health professionals, nurses, and AI-driven workflows—without replacing the physician or requiring practices…
Guardant Health has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for Guardant360 CDx as a companion diagnostic to identify patients with BRAF V600E–mutant metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who may benefit from treatment with BRAFTOVI (encorafenib) in combination with cetuximab and chemotherapy. The accelerated approval is supported by data from BREAKWATER trial, which demonstrated improved objective response rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival with encorafenib-based regimens compared with standard care in previously untreated BRAF-mutant mCRC. The findings reinforce the importance of early genomic testing in this aggressive colorectal cancer subtype. Guardant360 CDx enables non-invasive, blood-based detection of BRAF V600E mutations, helping…
Colorectal cancer is on the rise among young people. Now it is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. for those under 50, according to a new analysis. More than 1.2 million people under age 50 died of cancer in the U.S. from 1990 through 2023, American Cancer Society researchers reported Thursday. Some 3,905 people ages 20 to 49 died of colorectal cancer in 2023, according to Cancer Society statistics, compared with 3,809 for breast cancer and 2,086 for brain and other nervous system cancers.
A new national analysis examining Medicare reimbursements for the top 10 GI procedures finds a sharp, long-term decline in physician payments—raising concerns about future access to gastroenterology care as the U.S. population ages. Between 2003 and 2023, inflation-adjusted Medicare physician reimbursements in facility settings fell by nearly 46% nationwide, with declines observed across all regions. While the Northeast and West consistently received higher reimbursements, the South and Midwest saw persistently lower payments despite differing levels of GI physician supply. The study highlights several paradoxes: Overall, associations between reimbursement, physician supply, and demand were observed, but these relationships were inconsistent and…
A new analysis from the randomized phase 2 Prevent Anal Cancer (PAC) Self-Swab Study, published in JAMA Network Open, suggests that home-based self-sampling for anal cancer screening can significantly improve participation among high-risk individuals and may be cost-effective from a societal perspective. Participants who self-collected samples at home had higher screening rates than those screened in clinics (89% vs. 74%). While self-sampling incurred higher direct healthcare costs, it reduced indirect burdens such as travel, time, and productivity loss—resulting in a lower incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) when viewed from a societal lens (~$25 per additional person screened). The study focused on…