Inflammation, a sort of common local tissue reaction, usually originate from physical or chemical trauma, infection, or abnormal immune response; conversely, local inflammation could enhance the reaction of immune system. Immune-inflammation interaction in human digestive system mainly involves: 1) Chronic atrophic autoimmune gastritis—an immune response towards the parietal cells and intrinsic factor of the gastric body and fundus, leading to hypochlorhydria, hypergastrinemia, and pernicious anemia; 2) Virus hepatitis, including HBV and HCV—virus infection followed by viral clearance and tolerance, causing primarily liver inflammation and damage; 3) Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH)—three major autoimmune liver diseases; 4) autoimmune pancreatitis—abnormal immune attack towards pancreatic endocrine and exocrine, manifesting as obstructive painless jaundice; 5) Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (US) and Crohn’s disease (CD)—an imbalance in the bidirectional interactions between immune responses and the gut microbiome, resulting in chronic immune activation, epithelial damage, and amplification of inflammatory response.

The challenge is that repeated inflammation and abnormal immune response in digestive system over time could evolve into cancers or tumors, Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)—natural products and non-pharmacological therapies—might restore the balance between inflammation and immune response.

This Annual issue aims to offer a translational science spectrum platform to discuss the laboratory findings, clinical insights, practice implications, and population health improvement of CAM in the immune-inflammation interaction in digestive system. In this way, we hope to bridge across the continuum of knowledge deployment, covert basic science discoveries to human application even clinical practice, disseminate the best practice into relevant communities, and ultimately modify the behavior of whole populations to improve global wellness. Both original research articles, methodology articles, and review articles are welcomed.

Potential topics for CAM in the immune-inflammation interaction in digestive system include but are not limited to the following:

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Basic research—in vivo and in vitro study, network pharmacology study, bioinformatics study, pre-clinical research, epidemiology study, and basic health services research.
• Translation to human—case study, proof-of-concept study, phase I and II clinical trials.
• Translation to patients—observational study, phase III clinical trial, evidence synthesis, clinical guideline development.
• Translation to practice—phase IV clinical trial, systematic review and meta-analysis, guideline development, health services research, clinical outcomes research.
• Translation to population health—population-level prevention and outcome study, mass screening outcome study, and health policy study (based on national database).