Biliary atresia. Where are we now and what is next?

Interdisciplinary networking and centralization particularly for rare diseases as well as transition are characteristics of modern pediatric medicine. This development can be presented using the example of biliary atresia (BA) because the early diagnosis and treatment are prerequisites for a favorable outcome, which in this case is long-term survival with a native liver; however, BA is still the most common indication for liver transplantation during childhood. Even after successful liver transplantation, every patient with BA remains a so-called liver patient and with advancing age young patients face transition into adult care. To be able to understand the clinical dimension of BA, the treating pediatrician needs to realize that even now little is known about BA. In other words: the symptoms of an essentially unknown disease must be treated. For this reason, during the last decadesmany working groups were formed worldwide, focusing on clinical and translational basic research. Therefore, this article presents a summary of the current situation and perspectives for treatment of BA in the coming years.