Natural Hormone Suppresses Liver Inflammation via Brain-Gut Pathway

According to researchers at McMaster University, the naturally occurring hormone GDF15 protects the liver from inflammation and slows the progression of scarring through a brain-to-liver signaling pathway independent of weight loss. Published in Cell Metabolism, the findings challenge longstanding assumptions about the hormone, which is best known for suppressing appetite and promoting weight loss. Understanding … Read more

Hidden Metabolic Risks in Non-Obese HIV Patients: New Research

People living with well-controlled HIV face an elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes due to increased scarring in their fat tissues, according to a University of California – San Francisco study published June 30 in JCI Insight. Fat Fibrosis and Insulin Resistance in HIV Researchers at UCSF investigated why patients with suppressed HIV maintain … Read more

Daily Tomatoes Reduce Liver Fat in MASLD Trial

Daily consumption of raw tomatoes and tomato sauce significantly reduces controlled attenuation parameter (CAP)-defined hepatic steatosis in adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), according to an exploratory randomized controlled trial published in the journal Nutrients. Researchers found that a six-week tomato-rich diet outperformed a tomato-free control group, dropping median CAP values by 35 … Read more

Traditional Japanese Medicine for Obesity May Reduce Tissue Fibrosis

Traditional Japanese medicine Bofutsushosan, widely used to treat obesity, may also protect aging tissues from destructive fibrosis, according to a preclinical study published in Phytomedicine. Researchers at the University of Osaka and Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. found that the multi-ingredient formula reduced scar-like tissue buildup in the liver and fat tissue of mice fed a … Read more

Dietary Nutrient Linked to Gut Pathway and Atrial Fibrillation

Higher levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) are independently associated with a greater prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Researchers found that TMAO, a metabolite produced by gut microbes from nutrients like choline, may trigger AF by inhibiting muscarinic receptor 2 signaling and disrupting autonomic regulation … Read more

Unexpected Mechanism Drives Extreme Antibiotic Resistance, Study Reveals

Rapidly developing antibiotic resistance during severe lung infections can occur when patients acquire circular pieces of DNA called plasmids from transient environmental bacteria, according to researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Publishing their findings in Nature Microbiology, the team reported that this gene transfer can cause pathogen resistance to jump more than … Read more

Chronotype and Liver Health: No Significant Link Found

A recent cross-sectional study published in the journal Nutrients found no statistically significant link between an individual’s chronotype—their natural preference for morning or evening activity—and the presence of liver fat or fibrosis in adults with overweight or obesity. Researchers at the National Institute of Gastroenterology in Italy assessed 119 medication-naïve participants using the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire … Read more

New Ultrasensitive Biosensor Detects Early-Stage Liver Fibrosis via Blood Test

Researchers at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), in collaboration with the Catholic University of Korea and Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, have developed an ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor capable of detecting early-stage liver fibrosis through a small blood sample. The device, known as FIB-EIS, identifies the protein PICP to signal liver hardening, potentially replacing invasive tissue biopsies with a … Read more

Space Travel and Aging: How Liver Changes Unlock New Clues

Exposure to space radiation and microgravity triggers rapid genetic changes in the liver that mirror the human aging process, according to research published in the journal GeroScience. How does space travel accelerate the aging process? Space environments force the human body to endure conditions that trigger premature biological decline. Michal Masternak, a professor of medicine … Read more

Key Cells Driving Hypertrophic Scarring Identified

Researchers at the Plastic Surgery Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences have identified a specific fibroblast cell state—designated as “Fib_5”—that serves as a primary driver of hypertrophic scar formation. Published in Burns & Trauma in 2026, the study reveals that the transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) acts as a molecular “brake” on … Read more