Recent Progress on Bile Acid Receptor Modulators for Treatment of Metabolic Diseases

Bile acids are steroid-derived molecules synthesized in the liver, secreted from hepatocytes into the bile canaliculi, and subsequently stored in the gall bladder. During the feeding, bile flows into the duodenum, where it contributes to the solubilization and digestion of lipid-soluble nutrients. After a meal, bile-acid levels increase in the intestine, liver, and also in the systemic circulation. Therefore, serum bile-acid levels serve as an important sensing mechanism for nutrient and energy. Recent studies have described bile acids as versatile signaling molecules endowed with systemic endocrine functions. Bile acids are ligands for G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) such as TGR5 (also known as GPBAR1, M-BAR, and BG37) and nuclear hormone receptors including farnesoid X receptor (FXR; also known as NR1H4). Acting through these diverse signaling pathways, bile acids regulate triglyceride, cholesterol, glucose homeostasis, and energy expenditure. These bile-acid-controlled signaling pathways have become the source of promising novel drug targets to treat common metabolic and hepatic diseases.