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Updated: May 31, 2026

Using Multi-fluorinated Bile Acids and In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Measure Bile Acid Transport
Published on: November 27, 2016
Targeting nuclear bile acid receptors for liver disease
Michael Trauner1, Anna Baghdasaryan, Thierry Claudel
1Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. michael.trauner@meduniwien.ac.at
Abstract:
Bile acids (BAs) are able to activate a range of dedicated nuclear receptors (NRs) which play a key role in the transcriptional control of critical steps of a wide range of hepatic functions ranging from BA homeostasis and bile formation, phase I/II metabolism of endo- and xenobiotics such as BAs and drugs, respectively, to hepatic lipids and glucose metabolism. Apart from these metabolic roles, BA-activated nuclear receptors also play a key role in the control of hepatic inflammation, fibrogenesis, replication of hepatitis B and C virus, liver regeneration and carcinogenesis. As such, several physiological and pathophysiological effects of BAs can now be explained through activation of regulatory NR networks. Moreover, BA-activated NRs are key for understanding the pathogenesis of several liver diseases and represent attractive drug targets. This article will provide a brief overview on the role of BA-activated NRs in cholestatic and fatty liver disease.
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