18-Aug-2026 Gestational progesterone is linked to improved menstrual regularity after Higher Education Press Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 6%−20% of reproductive-aged women, and is commonly accompanied by irregular menstrual cycles and anovulatory infertility. The mechanisms underlying menstrual cycle irregularities associated with PCOS, and how they may change after pregnancy remain incompletely understood. Journal Life Metabolism
18-Aug-2026 FPR2 drives intestinal epithelial repair after injury Higher Education Press The intestinal epithelium undergoes rapid renewal every 3–5 days, a process driven by intestinal stem cells (ISCs) located at the base of crypts. While ISCs play an essential role in epithelial regeneration following injury, such as that induced by chemotherapy or radiation, the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Journal Life Metabolism
18-Aug-2026 Post-meal SPARC level predicts who benefits most from the Mediterranean diet Higher Education Press 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. Journal Life Metabolism
18-Aug-2026 Glycine acts as a signal to boost insulin secretion via ER calcium homeostasis Higher Education Press 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. Journal Life Metabolism
18-Aug-2026 Proline-producing enzyme P5CS identified as a key driver of metabolic fatty liver disease Higher Education Press Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a spectrum of liver conditions ranging from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis (MASH), fibrosis, and cirrhosis, represents a global health epidemic with no approved pharmacotherapies. Journal Life Metabolism
18-Aug-2026 DDAH1 controls hepatic lipid metabolism under fasting Higher Education Press The liver plays a central role in maintaining systemic energy homeostasis during fasting by mobilizing lipid reserves, a process often accompanied by transient hepatic steatosis. Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1 (DDAH1), a key enzyme metabolizing asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), has been shown to protect against NAFLD under nutrient-overload conditions. However, its role in the physiological context of fasting remained elusive. Journal Life Metabolism
18-Aug-2026 From brain wiring to stress and metabolism: One gene has a finger on the switch Weizmann Institute of Science A new study from the Weizmann Institute of Science reveals a previously unknown biological link between mental and physiological stress responses: They are orchestrated by a single “mastermind” gene, a kind of master switch that is active in the brain even before birth. The study, published recently in Endocrinology, shows that this gene, called Orthopedia, or Otp – long known to play a key role in building the developing brain – remains active into adulthood, helping regulate key hormonal systems that determine how the brain controls stress, metabolism and even behavior. Journal Endocrinology
18-Aug-2026 miR-378 as a metabolic-state-dependent switch controling liver autophagy and fat accumulation Higher Education Press Emerging evidence reveals that dysregulated autophagy, particularly the selective degradation of lipid droplets (lipophagy), is crucial to maintaining hepatic lipid balance, yet how its activity is regulated under different metabolic conditions has long been an open question. Journal Life Metabolism
17-Aug-2026 Quinone-transporting filaments expand bioenergetic capacity in Gram-positive Bacillota Monash University We found that some bacteria build long, hollow filaments that extend their respiratory machinery away from the membrane and into the cell. These filaments are made from proteins and lipids with a hollow interior that electron-carrying molecules can move through, effectively creating power cables within the cell. This allows many energy-processing enzymes to work beyond the cell membrane, expanding respiratory capacity without the bacterium having to build additional membranes or fundamentally reorganise its structure. Journal Nature Microbiology
