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  • Metabolic Messengers
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Metabolic Messengers: Thyroid Hormones

Nature Metabolism volume 6, pages 639–650 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Thyroid hormones (THs) are key hormones that regulate development and metabolism in mammals. In man, the major target tissues for TH action are the brain, liver, muscle, heart, and adipose tissue. Defects in TH synthesis, transport, metabolism, and nuclear action have been associated with genetic and endocrine diseases in man. Over the past few years, there has been renewed interest in TH action and the therapeutic potential of THs and thyromimetics to treat several metabolic disorders such as hypercholesterolemia, dyslipidaemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and TH transporter defects. Recent advances in the development of tissue and TH receptor isoform-targeted thyromimetics have kindled new hope for translating our fundamental understanding of TH action into an effective therapy. This review provides a concise overview of the historical development of our understanding of TH action, its physiological and pathophysiological effects on metabolism, and future therapeutic applications to treat metabolic dysfunction.

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Fig. 1: Timeline of TH discovery and clinical development.
Fig. 2: Cellular and metabolic actions of TH.
Fig. 3: Target tissues and metabolic effects of THs in rodents and humans.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance Fellowship [IA/I/16/2/502691] & SERB (CRG/2022/002149) awarded to RAS and CSASI19may-0002 and NMRC/CIRG/1457/2016 to PMY.

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  1. Department of Endocrinology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India

    Rohit A. Sinha

  2. Laboratory of Hormonal Regulation, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore

    Paul M. Yen

  3. Div. Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA

    Paul M. Yen

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Sinha, R.A., Yen, P.M. Metabolic Messengers: Thyroid Hormones. Nat Metab 6, 639–650 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-024-00986-0

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