Outline in 2018

Once thought to be irreversible, cirrhosis of the liver now seems treatable — and drug development is proceeding apace.

Many long-term diseases of the liver lead to scarring, or fibrosis, that restricts the organ’s functions. Evidence that fibrosis can regress has spurred the search for therapies that suppress scar-tissue formation to restore liver health.

Existing treatments bring only temporary relief to people with ulcerative colitis, a common form of inflammatory bowel disease. Insights into the immunobiology of the condition are driving the development of therapies that could lead to prolonged periods of remission.

Existing treatments for debilitating gut inflammation can offer only temporary relief. An array of potential therapies look set to unlock lasting remission.

Damage to the retina has so far proved irreversible, but stem-cell therapies could hold the key to restoring sight.

The ways in which lost vision might be restored are coming into focus as researchers move closer to recreating the eye’s most complex structure — the retina — in the laboratory.