In a paper published in Science Bulletin, a Chinese team of scientists revealed the complexities of hepatic SLC7A11 and the essentiality of SLC7A11-mediated nonessential amino acids in MASLD. Slc7a11 deficiency accelerated MASLD progression via classic cystine/cysteine deficiency–induced ferroptosis, while serine deficiency and a resulting impairment in de novo cysteine production were attributed to ferroptosis-induced MASLD progression in mice overexpressing hepatic Slc7a11. Researchers found that both serine supplementation and blocking ferroptosis significantly alleviated MASLD, and the serum serine/glutamate ratio might serve as a prognostic biomarker for MASLD in patients.

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created nanostructured alumina surfaces which are strongly antibacterial but can be used to culture cells. They found that anodic porous alumina (APA) surfaces prepared using electrochemistry in concentrated sulfuric acid had unprecedented resistance to bacterial growth, but did not hamper cell cultures. The team’s technology promises to have a big impact on regenerative medicine, where high quality cell cultures without bacterial contamination may be produced without antibiotics.