The breakthroughs in this issue of Inside Tract are all aimed in the direction of advancing patient care.

Inflammatory bowel disease is the topic of three of these stories.

Stephen Meltzer and his laboratory team are looking at a gene sequence that copies itself and jumps all around the genome. Meltzer’s work is providing clues that this sequence could be associated with the early stages of cancer.

Steven Brant and two colleagues at other academic medical centers have published an article on the first-ever research on African- Americans and inflammatory bowel disease. The article offers us a first look at the origins of IBD in a population where its incidence is on the rise.

Alyssa Parian’s research centers on a relatively new pathological finding. Serrated epithelial changes that we see in biopsies and through the endoscope are looking increasingly like new cancer markers. Parian and her colleagues will continue exploring this new pathology, but we’re already using the finding as an early marker.

And finally, Ashish Nimgaonkar has designed a mechanical pump to help patients clear the fluid that can build up in the abdomen when their livers are failing. As they await transplant, the patients will be spared numerous hospital visits to drain the fluid.

As always, we welcome your thoughts, and we invite you to call on us if we can contribute to your practice.