Researchers at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have identified a single protein called ZFP36L2 that acts as a molecular switch linking the gut’s damage-sensing system to cellular identity shifts, according to a study published August 5 in Nature. According to physician-scientist Karuna Ganesh, senior author of the study, the protein controls how cells detect … Read more
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 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
Europe faces a stubborn public health gap that threatens to derail its goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by the end of the decade, according to new data published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). While childhood vaccination has successfully pushed hepatitis B prevalence to near-zero levels among children under five across … Read more
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
Inherited genetics directly shape how our DNA interacts with acquired mutations to drive tumor evolution, according to research published in Nature. Scientists at the University of Cambridge and the University of Edinburgh found that an individual’s genetic background dictates both cancer risk and the specific evolutionary paths tumors take, offering new direction for precision medicine … Read more
Primary biliary cholangitis is a rare autoimmune disease affecting small bile ducts within the liver, causing bile to build up and trigger progressive liver damage that can eventually lead to cirrhosis, according to recent medical studies. Because the immune system attacks these vital ducts, roughly 40% of patients fail to respond adequately or cannot tolerate … Read more
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
Stanford Medicine researchers have identified a primary driver of biological aging: the failure of tissue-resident macrophages to clear senescent, or “zombie,” neutrophils from the body. According to a study published July 16 in Science, blocking a specific pro-inflammatory receptor, EP2, on these immune cells rejuvenated organ function and reduced age-related frailty in mice. This discovery … Read more
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) may affect up to 47% of adults in Mexico, according to a review published in Archives of Medical Research. Lead author Jeffrey Lazarus, a professor at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, argues that Mexico must integrate liver health into existing obesity and diabetes programs … Read more