Gene therapy trials for liver diseases present unprecedented opportunities for both patients and investigators. While offering the potential for durable disease modification for patients, gene therapies also raise complex questions for investigators regarding informed consent, heightened safety monitoring requirements, equity of access, pediatric enrollment, long-term follow-up obligations, and investigator responsibility for therapies with potentially irreversible effects.

The Clinical Research Committee and Pediatric Special Interest Group jointly sponsor this expert session that provides an informal, small-group forum for in-depth discussion with recognized leaders in pediatric hepatology, genetics, and research ethics. Presenters focus on real-world challenges faced by investigators conducting liver-directed gene therapy trials for conditions such as urea cycle disorders, Wilson disease, and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency as well as acquired conditions such as hepatitis B. Discussion topics include: managing uncertainty and expectations; balancing innovation with patient protection; long-term follow-up obligations; and how investigators can responsibly integrate gene therapy into clinical research and practice. Speakers aim to equip attendees with the tools necessary to ensure safe, ethical, and effective implementation of these trials across research sites.

Join topic experts for this intriguing session that explores the emerging therapeutic landscape for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD) and alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). Speakers focus specifically on fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) in the context of AUD and ALD. Presenters also explore future translational research questions involving FGF21 and GLP-1 RAs.

Faculty review the practical aspects of implementing integrated alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) care. Topics include organizing a care team, development of a business plan, and barriers and pitfalls as presented by experts who have successfully started integrated ALD care programs.

Porto-sinusoidal vascular disorder (PSVD) has recently undergone a major conceptual shift with changes in both its name and diagnostic definition, accompanied by the development of a new diagnostic score. Despite these advances, PSVD remains a frequently underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed condition with limited awareness across clinical settings. Disease mechanisms, natural history, and trajectories are still incompletely understood; significant gaps remain in patient identification and cohort harmonization.

Experts review the evolving definition of PSVD; discuss the rationale and application of the new diagnostic criteria and scoring system; and examine current challenges in diagnosis, phenotyping, and disease classification. Through expert insights and case-based discussion, the session highlights unmet needs in understanding PSVD pathophysiology and clinical course, and outlines priorities for improving recognition, diagnosis, and collaborative research efforts.

In this interactive session, experts discuss recent advances in hepatic stellate cell (HSC) biology in the context of liver injury and fibrosis progression. Quiescent HSCs play a critical role in liver homeostasis whereas activated HSCs are associated with fibrogenesis. Studies have identified distinct HSC populations that play differential roles during liver injury, tissue homeostasis, and fibrosis.

Experts discuss the latest research on HSC functional heterogeneity, crosstalk with other liver cell types, and unique signaling pathways that influence HSC function during injury and fibrosis. The discussion focuses on recent advances in liver fibrogenesis, highlighting the spatial heterogeneity of HSCs and their distinct functional roles at the single-cell level, with an emphasis on the protective and disease-promoting roles of HSCs. Presenters review the molecular mechanisms underlying the dysregulation of regenerative pathways during sustained chronic liver injury with a specific focus on the roles of the ductular reaction and liver progenitor cells in HSC activation and fibrosis progression. Faculty also discuss recent advances in the mechanisms of HSC activation with a specific focus on novel molecular targets and therapeutic strategies to inactivate HSCs for the treatment of patients with liver fibrosis. The session provides attendees an excellent opportunity to engage in informal discussions with experts in the field and to gain valuable insights.

Primary and secondary prophylaxis for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) has been a cornerstone of cirrhosis management for decades, informed by early studies suggesting a survival benefit and reduced infectious complications. As a result, long-term antibiotic prophylaxis has become routine practice for many persons with advanced liver disease. Emerging evidence, however, is challenging this paradigm. Recent randomized controlled trials have failed to demonstrate clear survival benefits in selected populations while analyses of large retrospective cohorts raise concerns regarding limited effectiveness in real-world settings. Further, increasing antibiotic resistance, shifts in bacterial epidemiology, and unintended consequences of prolonged antibiotic exposure have brought renewed scrutiny to SBP prophylaxis strategies.

Experts critically review the evolving evidence base for SBP prophylaxis, examine discrepancies between historical assumptions and contemporary data, and explore how new findings should inform patient selection, risk stratification, and future clinical guidelines.

This interactive workshop is designed to support fellows and early-career hepatologists preparing for the transplant hepatology board examination. The session combines high-yield, test-taking strategies with real-time practice using board-style questions. Faculty who contributed to the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)–sponsored 2026 Transplant Hepatology Board Review course guide participants through question interpretation, answer rationale, and common pitfalls with immediate feedback and discussion in a collaborative learning environment using an engagement survey tool.

This community conversation highlights practical strategies to improve efficiency in hepatology practice by leveraging both artificial intelligence (AI) and high-impact, non–AI tools embedded within the Epic electronic health record (EHR). Key topics include optimizing documentation workflows (eg, templates, smart phrases, order sets, and chart review tools) to reduce inbox and message burden; and deploying AI–enabled capabilities for data extraction, ambient documentation, and automated patient responses. The session provides real-world examples, implementation tips, and actionable takeaways to help participants integrate these tools into daily clinical and research workflows while reducing administrative burden and preserving time for patient care. 

NOTE: This session requires registration. 

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) remains without an approved medical therapy, leaving clinicians to navigate highly variable and often conflicting real-world practices. Many patients receive ursodiol; others receive oral vancomycin (OV), and bowel-directed therapies that are inconsistently integrated despite strong evidence that PSC is a gut-liver axis disease.

This session provides a practical, case-based update on how PSC and PSC with inflammatory bowel disease (PSC–IBD) are currently managed in real clinical settings across hepatology, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and pediatrics. Faculty review:

• How, when, and whether ursodiol is used in practice
• Evidence and mechanisms behind OV therapy—including dosing strategies, absorption/formulation issues, relapse with discontinuation, subgroup differences, and common misuse
• Management of IBD in persons with PSC including key considerations and the best options for treatment

The session emphasizes real-life decision-making, areas of persistent disagreement, and points of consensus emerging across hepatology and gastroenterology with the goal of equipping clinicians with practical, patient-centered guidance that they can immediately apply.

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Public Policy Committee explores challenges for liver health professionals within the health policy landscape, with particular emphasis on physician reimbursement, National Institutes of Health funding, vaccines and hepatitis B, and the Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2025.