Our findings demonstrate that hnRNPA2B1-dependent m⁶A modification of circSMAD6 accelerates aerobic glycolysis and metastasis of HCC cells by regulating miR-30d-3p/CNPY2 axis, and may provide a potential therapeutic target for HCC.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) affects approximately 25% of the global population and is typically linked to obesity. Notably, emerging evidence indicates that 12%–20% of MAFLD occurs in individuals with normal body weight or even in lean individuals, a condition termed lean MAFLD. These individuals often exhibit distinct clinical features, including lower insulin resistance but similar risks of liver fibrosis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and higher cardiovascular mortality. Despite its clinical significance, the underlying mechanism of lean MAFLD remains poorly understood due to the lack of representative animal models.

 

Liver fibrosis, a common pathological outcome of chronic liver injury, is a key precursor to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite its clinical importance, no effective antifibrotic therapies are currently available.

A small, nest-dwelling tick found across large parts of Texas could play an outsized role in how the United States responds to African swine fever (ASF) should the virus reach domestic or wild pigs.

In a recent study, researchers at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS), Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Department of Biology mapped where Ornithodoros turicata — a soft tick species native to Texas and the southwestern United States — is most likely to survive and examined what that means for ASF preparedness.

The study is part of a $1.4 million Department of Homeland Security-funded research project through the Cross-Border Threat Screening and Supply Chain Defense (CBTS), DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Center of Excellence housed at Texas A&M. Led by Dr. Meriam Saleh, a clinical assistant professor in VMBS’ Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, this project seeks to understand whether Texas-derived populations of the tick could help sustain or transmit the virus if it were introduced into the U.S. — and how that risk could affect the food supply, trade and cross-border livestock movement. By supporting research at the intersection of animal health, border security and supply chain resilience, CBTS helps address emerging transboundary threats before they escalate into large-scale economic or homeland security challenges.

Aging is a major risk factor for chronic diseases, and calorie restriction (CR) is a robust non-pharmacological intervention that can extend health span in multiple species. Alternative splicing (AS) generates multiple RNA isoforms from a single pre-mRNA and becomes dysregulated with age; intriguingly, prior work suggests that CR can attenuate age-associated splicing noise. What has remained unclear is whether AS responses to CR are coordinated across tissues and whether they scale with the level of restriction.

A new study published in Life Metabolism reports that a single post-meal blood biomarker, 1-hour postprandial SPARC (SPARC-1H), can predict who will benefit most from adopting a Mediterranean diet. The discovery provides one of the clearest examples to date of how precision nutrition can identify individualized dietary responses using a simple blood test rather than complex multi-omics models.

Glycine, a non-essential amino acid derived from serine, plays an increasingly recognized role in metabolic regulation. Epidemiological studies consistently show that reduced circulating glycine levels are associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and obesity across diverse populations. However, the molecular mechanism linking glycine to insulin production has remained incompletely understood, limiting therapeutic applications.