From reflux esophagitis to Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma

The occurrence of gastroesophageal reflux disease is common in the human population. Almost all cases of esophageal adenocarcinoma are derived from Barrett's esophagus, which is a complication of esophageal adenocarcinoma precancerous lesions. Chronic exposure of the esophagus to gastroduodenal intestinal fluid is an important determinant factor in the development of Barrett's esophagus. The replacement of normal squamous epithelium with specific columnar epithelium in the lower esophagus induced by the chronic exposure to gastroduodenal fluid could lead to intestinal metaplasia, which is closely associated with the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma. However, the exact mechanism of injury is not completely understood. Various animal models of the developmental mechanisms of disease, and theoretical and clinical effects of drug treatment have been widely used in research. Recently, animal models employed in studies on gastroesophageal reflux injury have allowed significant progress. The advantage of using animal models lies in the ability to accurately control the experimental conditions for better evaluation of results. In this article, various modeling methods are reviewed, with discussion of the major findings on the developmental mechanism of Barrett's esophagus, which should help to develop better prevention and treatment strategies for Barrett's esophagus.