Program

Symposium　ーEnglish Sessionー

• Symposium 2
  Recent Advances in Hepatitis B Care and Therapeutic Development

  Despite significant progress in hepatitis B treatment with the introduction of nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA), achieving a functional cure remains challenging, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic strategies. Clinical challenges include managing complications from long-term NA therapy, defining criteria for treatment expansion or cessation, addressing comorbidities associated with an aging population, and preventing HBV reactivation. In addition, stigma and discrimination against HBV often delay referral to specialists and initiation of treatment. Therefore, establishing integrated systems that enable seamless transitions from simple testing and diagnosis to timely treatment is essential. On the other hand, therapeutic development for HBV is rapidly evolving, with new approaches targeting immune modulation, cccDNA and HBV RNA, as well as efforts to identify predictive biomarkers of treatment response. This session invites a broad range of presentations on both clinical initiatives addressing unmet needs in HBV care and basic and translational research aimed at achieving a functional cure.

• Symposium 9
  The cutting edge of pathophysiological (basic) research and clinical application in inflammatory bowel disease

  In recent years, multiple molecular targeted therapies have been developed for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), making it increasingly possible to achieve rapid induction of remission and long-term maintenance. Furthermore, the concept of ""treat to target"" has been proposed, to optimize treatment based on serological, endoscopic and histological findings. On the other hand, even in this era where molecular targeted drugs are at the forefront, there remain challenging cases where therapeutic effects diminish, or where no response is observed to multiple advanced therapies—so-called ""Difficult to Treat"" cases. Researches into the etiology and pathophysiology that can be translated into clinical practice is highly anticipated. Currently, intensive researches are being conducted in fields such as immunology, molecular biology, genetics, and gut microbiota, and these areas are rapidly evolving. As a result, there is potential for the development and clinical application of new therapies based on underlying disease mechanisms.
  This symposium aims to showcase the latest findings in pathophysiological research and real-world clinical applications in IBD. We look forward to many submissions from both basic and clinical research fields.

• Symposium 16
  Challenges and Future Directions of Genomic Medicine in Pancreatic and Biliary Tract Cancers

  Advancements in genomic analysis have accelerated personalized medicine in pancreatic and biliary tract cancers. In biliary tract cancer, actionable alterations such as FGFR2 fusions are relatively common, and gene panel testing along with companion diagnostics such as FISH are becoming part of routine clinical practice. The emergence of combination immunotherapy has also highlighted the importance of understanding the tumor immune microenvironment. Meanwhile, challenges such as resistance mutations to FGFR inhibitors have emerged, bringing attention to the potential of liquid biopsy. In pancreatic cancer, gene panel or BRCA1/2 testing is performed, but cases leading to treatment decisions remain very limited. This session will cover the current state and challenges of genomic medicine, the use of companion diagnostics, exploratory research on novel targets and biomarkers, and the role of the immune microenvironment to explore future treatment strategies.