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Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Reverse Yeast Two-hybrid System to Identify Mammalian Nuclear Receptor Residues that Interact with Ligands and/or Antagonists
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Nuclear Receptors as Therapeutic Targets in Liver Disease: Are We There Yet?

Swetha Rudraiah1, Xi Zhang1, Li Wang1,2,3

  • 1Department of Physiology and Neurobiology and The Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269.

Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology
|January 8, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Nuclear receptors (NRs) regulate liver functions and are implicated in liver diseases. Targeting NRs offers a promising therapeutic strategy for liver pathologies.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular biology
  • Hepatology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Nuclear receptors (NRs) are crucial transcription factors regulating cellular processes.
  • NRs are implicated in various liver diseases, including cancer, steatosis, and inflammation.
  • The complex network of NR targets includes coregulators and noncoding RNAs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of NR metabolic networks in liver disease.
  • To discuss the pharmacological implications of NRs in liver pathologies.
  • To highlight the therapeutic potential of NR-targeting ligands.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of NR functions in liver physiology and pathology.
  • Analysis of NR-mediated molecular pathways.
  • Examination of current and emerging NR-targeting therapies.

Main Results:

  • NRs play diverse roles in liver cell differentiation, metabolism, and response to injury.
  • Dysregulation of NR networks is associated with numerous liver diseases.
  • Several NR ligands are in clinical use or trials for liver conditions.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding NR regulation in liver disease is key for therapeutic development.
  • Targeting NR pathways presents a promising approach for treating liver diseases.
  • Identification of ligands for orphan NRs could unlock new treatment strategies.
Keywords:
cholestatic liver diseasedrug-induced liver injuryhepatocellular cancerliver inflammation and fibrosisnonalcoholic fatty liverviral hepatitis infection

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