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Updated: Oct 27, 2025

Using Multi-fluorinated Bile Acids and In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Measure Bile Acid Transport
Published on: November 27, 2016
Up to date on cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) in bile acid synthesis
John Y L Chiang1, Jessica M Ferrell1
1Department of Integrative Medical Sciences, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, USA.
Abstract:
Cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1, EC1.14) is the first and rate-limiting enzyme in the classic bile acid synthesis pathway. Much progress has been made in understanding the transcriptional regulation of CYP7A1 gene expression and the underlying molecular mechanisms of bile acid feedback regulation of CYP7A1 and bile acid synthesis in the last three decades. Discovery of bile acid-activated receptors and their roles in the regulation of lipid, glucose and energy metabolism have been translated to the development of bile acid-based drug therapies for the treatment of liver-related metabolic diseases such as alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases, liver cirrhosis, diabetes, obesity and hepatocellular carcinoma. This review will provide an update on the advances in our understanding of the molecular biology and mechanistic insights of the regulation of CYP7A1 in bile acid synthesis in the last 40 years.
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