metabolism

Nephrolithiasis associated with metabolic syndrome represents a growing global public health burden with a 5-year recurrence rate of up to 50%. Current first-line preventive strategies, primarily potassium citrate and thiazide diuretics, only correct urinary chemical abnormalities symptomatically, and patient adherence remains below 50% at 1 year. Importantly, these approaches fail to address the…

Obesity-related metabolic liver disease affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. New research found a protein, EFHD1, that drives liver damage by triggering an out-of-place antiviral immune response. Blocking EFHD1 can protect against liver injury in human cells and mouse models.

Nature Communications, Published online: 31 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77216-6 The nutrient-sensing kinase complex mTORC1 regulates metabolism, yet the physiological signals controlling its activity in the liver are incompletely defined. Here, the authors show that dietary protein is required for postprandial hepatic mTORC1 activation and determines its responsiveness to insulin.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) affects approximately 25% of the global population and is typically linked to obesity.

[Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy] The authors synthesize how cancer-associated adipocytes and adipose dynamics drive oncogenesis, progression and therapeutic failure and highlight actionable nodes within the adipose–tumor axis for precision oncology.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a prevalent chronic metabolic liver disorder, whose onset and progression are closely associated with dysregulated lipid metabolism, chronic inflammation, and intestinal microbial dysbiosis. The gut and liver are anatomically and functionally connected via the portal vein system, through which gut-derived metabolites, inflammatory me…

A Japanese research group has published findings from a mouse model study describing how the loss of a protein in the brain can impact weight gain by stimulating cravings that lead to overeating. Specifically, scientists looked at the role of a mitochondrial fusion protein called optic atrophy-1 (OPA1) in maintaining metabolic health. OPA1 is found in the brain’s Melanocortin 4 Receptor (MC4R) ne…

Scientific Reports, Published online: 15 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-67281-8 Adipocyte-derived extracellular vesicles differentially regulate MASLD-associated metabolic responses in hepatocytes depending on glucose conditions

Preventative health technology company Viome Life Sciences has acquired Circulate Health, which has pioneered a therapeutic plasma exchange outside the hospital setting. Viome says the move will integrate its molecular diagnostics and precision nutrition platform with Circulate’s physician-facilitated therapeutic plasma exchange and its network of clinical partners in the US. As the science of me…

What if one of the keys to a healthier metabolism is understanding how and when the liver communicates with the rest of the body?

Nature Communications, Published online: 11 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76595-0 Multiple cell populations within the bone tumour microenvironment have been shown to support multiple myeloma (MM). Here, the authors show that under glucose deprived conditions, adipocytes produce β-hydroxybutyrate, which promotes MM cell survival.

Nature Communications, Published online: 01 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76220-0 Here, via longitudinal multi-omics analyses, the authors show that maternal gut virome disruption precedes preterm birth and relates to metabolic alterations, with viral signatures improving preterm birth prediction, highlighting the virome as a potential target for risk assessment.

Can a low-carb diet cause your cholesterol to skyrocket? This question has vexed researchers and influencers alike as the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets has surged, yet the evidence has remained mixed.

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-75822-y Bariatric surgery resolves metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Here the authors showed vertical sleeve gastrectomy alleviated MASH by enhancing MAT1A-driven one-carbon metabolism and S-adenosylmethionine production.