Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori) colonizes the gastric mucosa of more than 50% of the human population. It is the major etiological agent of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, and gastric adenocarcinoma. The concomitance of particular genotypes of both pathogen and host may lead to the development of serious gastroduodenal diseases.

With the rising prevalence of antimicrobial resistance, the treatment success of standard triple therapy has recently declined to unacceptable levels in most countries. Several strategies including sequential, concomitant, and hybrid therapies are therefore proposed to increase the eradication rate of first-line treatment for H. pylori infection. Since the best first-line eradication regimen with highest eradication rate and low adverse effects remains unclear and the exact route of transmission is still not exactly known, H. pylori infection continues to be a big challenge to all gastroenterologists 30 years after its discovery.

We invite investigators to contribute original research articles as well as review articles focusing on recent advances in the virulence factors of H. pylori, mechanism of H. pylori-induced gastric inflammation and carcinogenesis, promising first-line and rescue therapies, and vaccinating against H. pylori infection.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Epidemiology of H. pylori infection and public health implications
• Molecular cross-talk between H. pylori and human gastric mucosa
• Pathogenesis of H. pylori infection
• Natural outcome of H. pylori infection in asymptomatic children
• Extragastrointestinal manifestations of H. pylori infection
• Recent advances in the diagnosis of H. pylori infection
• Emerging first-line anti- H. pylori therapy
• Present status and future prospects of rescue regimens for H. pylori infection
• Vaccinating against H. pylori