Gut symbionts alleviate MASH through a secondary bile acid biosynthetic pathway. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38653239/)

These scientists wanted to understand how certain bacteria in our gut might affect a liver condition called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). They found that some bile acids produced by these bacteria could actually help protect the liver from damage.

To figure this out, they used a special method called click-chemistry to identify a new type of bile acid called 3-succinylated cholic acid (3-sucCA). They discovered that this new bile acid was linked to less liver damage in people with a liver disease called metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).

The scientists then looked at different bacteria and found that a type called Bacteroides uniformis was really good at making this helpful bile acid. They even found the specific enzyme in this bacteria responsible for producing 3-sucCA.

They also learned that 3-sucCA stays in the gut and can help improve the liver condition by promoting the growth of another helpful bacteria called Akkermansia muciniphila.

Overall, this study gives us new information about how the bacteria in our gut can affect our liver health and may help us find new ways to treat liver diseases like MASH.

Nie Q., Luo X., Wang K., Ding Y., Jia S., Zhao Q., Li M., Zhang J., Zhuo Y., Lin J., Guo C., Zhang Z., Liu H., Zeng G., You J., Sun L., Lu H., Ma M., Jia Y., Zheng MH., Pang Y., Qiao J., Jiang C. Gut symbionts alleviate MASH through a secondary bile acid biosynthetic pathway. Cell. 2024 May 23;187(11):2717-2734.e33. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.034. Epub 2024 Apr 22.