Bile acids have recently found application in the treatment of hepatobiliary diseases. Chenodeoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid have proved to be effective agents for the dissolution of cholesterol gallstones, and ursodeoxycholic acid has been shown to have beneficial effects in patients with chronic cholestatic liver disease such as primary biliary cirrhosis or primary sclerosing cholangitis.
The question of the long-term benefit for the patient remains open and the mechanism of action is still unclear. As a consequence, much basic and clinical research is being conducted on bile acid therapy. The XIIth International Bile Acid Meeting brought together researchers and clinicians from around the world, and was dedicated to basic and clinical aspects of the use of bile acids in the therapy of hepatobiliary disease.