Dr. Hunt has assembled a group of top experts to discuss the newest and most successful medical therapies to treat gastrointestinal diseases.  The issue is divided into sections devoted to each of these diseases states or disorders:  acid-related disorders, functional gastrointestinal disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal oncology, and hepatitis; the last 2 articles address the future directions in gastrointestinal pharmacotherapy.  Articles of special interest include those on  Anti-TNFa Drugs and New Biological Drugs for IBD, 5-ASA Drugs and Modified Formulations, and Potential for Manipulation of the Microbiome in Gastrointestional Disease.