Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
08:42
Using Multi-fluorinated Bile Acids and In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Measure Bile Acid Transport
Published on: November 27, 2016
Bile acid signaling: from dynamic pool composition to inter-organ communication
Fuyu Yang1, Ting Wei1, Kai Liu1
1Division of Gastroenterology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Frontiers in Endocrinology
|August 8, 2026
Summary
Bile acids (BAs) regulate metabolism and immunity by activating receptors like FXR and TGR5. Targeting BA signaling offers potential therapies for metabolic diseases linked to BA network dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic and immune system interactions
- Gut-liver axis
- Bile acid signaling pathways
Background:
- Bile acids (BAs) are synthesized in the liver and modified by gut microbiota, forming a dynamic pool.
- BAs act as signaling molecules, regulating metabolic and immune processes via nuclear (FXR) and membrane (TGR5) receptors.
- Dysregulation of the BA signaling network is implicated in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and type 2 diabetes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the dynamic composition of the bile acid pool.
- To elucidate the integrated regulatory roles of bile acid signaling networks in health and disease.
- To highlight emerging therapeutic strategies targeting bile acid signaling for metabolic and immune-mediated diseases.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of bile acid synthesis, metabolism, and signaling.
- Analysis of the role of bile acids in metabolic and immune homeostasis.
- Exploration of therapeutic targets within the bile acid signaling network.
Main Results:
- Bile acid pool composition dynamically influences metabolic responses.
- Bile acids integrate metabolic and immune functions through receptor activation (FXR, TGR5).
- Targeting bile acid signaling, including FXR agonists and TGR5 modulators, shows therapeutic promise.
Conclusions:
- Bile acid signaling is a critical systemic homeostatic network.
- Dysregulation of this network contributes to MASLD and other metabolic disorders.
- Emerging therapies targeting bile acid signaling present potential for treating metabolic and immune-mediated diseases.
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