Featured
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News |
Gut bacteria break down cholesterol — hinting at probiotic treatments
Species in the human microbiome have enzymes that can metabolize a potentially dangerous lipid.
- Julian Nowogrodzki
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Research Highlight |
How the body’s cholesterol factory avoids producing too much
Scientists identify a molecule that halts cholesterol production in the liver when dietary consumption is high.
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News |
First US drug approved for a liver disease surging around the world
A therapy called resmetirom improves hallmarks of an obesity-linked condition that can lead to liver failure.
- Heidi Ledford
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Nature Index |
Four change-makers seek impact in medical research
Bringing fresh perspectives to long-standing health challenges, these scientists are using techniques such as big-data analytics and AI to push the field.
- Amy Coombs
- & Sandy Ong
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News |
Blockbuster obesity drug leads to better health in people with HIV
Semaglutide reduces weight and fat accumulation associated with the antiretroviral regimen that keeps HIV at bay.
- Mariana Lenharo
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Obituary |
Roger Guillemin (1924–2024), neuroscientist who showed how the brain controls hormones
Nobel prizewinner whose discovery of how the brain drives hormone production had far-reaching impacts on studies of metabolism, reproduction and growth.
- Greg Lemke
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Article
| Open Access
Genome-wide characterization of circulating metabolic biomarkers
A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for 233 circulating metabolites from 33 cohorts reveals more than 400 loci and suggests probable causal genes, providing insights into metabolic pathways and disease aetiology.
- Minna K. Karjalainen
- , Savita Karthikeyan
- & Johannes Kettunen
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Career Column |
In the AI science boom, beware: your results are only as good as your data
Machine-learning systems are voracious data consumers — but trustworthy results require more vetting both before and after publication.
- Hunter Moseley
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Article
| Open Access
Mitochondrial dysfunction abrogates dietary lipid processing in enterocytes
Mitochondria have a pivotal role in the transport of dietary lipids in enterocytes, a finding that might have relevance to understanding the aberrant gastrointestinal function in patients with mitochondrial disorders.
- Chrysanthi Moschandrea
- , Vangelis Kondylis
- & Manolis Pasparakis
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Research Briefing |
Oxytocin produced by neurons in fat tissue releases stored lipids
The hormone oxytocin is secreted by the brain during labour and lactation. It has also been associated with lipid release from intracellular stores, but the physiological implications of this were unknown. This study shows that oxytocin is produced locally by neurons that innervate the adipose tissue and is required for maximizing energy release from fat.
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Article |
Control of lipolysis by a population of oxytocinergic sympathetic neurons
Oxytocin derived from peripheral sympathetic neurons is shown to regulate lipolysis and systemic metabolism.
- Erwei Li
- , Luhong Wang
- & Evan D. Rosen
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News & Views |
MYC protein helps cancer to take its vitamins
Identifying nutrient dependencies of cancer cells is crucial for developing new therapies. The discovery that an aggressive type of cancer cell has a high uptake of vitamin B5 sheds light on the link between vitamin availability and tumour growth.
- Martina Wallace
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Article |
A novel antidiuretic hormone governs tumour-induced renal dysfunction
Experiments using conserved tumour models show that the G-protein-coupled receptor TkR99D in Drosophila Malphigian tubular stellate cells and NK3R in mouse renal tubules link malignant tumours to defective excretory functions.
- Wenhao Xu
- , Gerui Li
- & Wei Song
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Article |
Genetic risk converges on regulatory networks mediating early type 2 diabetes
Integration of multiomics data with functional analysis of pancreatic tissues from individuals with early-stage type 2 diabetes indicates that the genetic risk converges on RFX6, which regulates chromatin architecture at multiple risk loci.
- John T. Walker
- , Diane C. Saunders
- & Marcela Brissova
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Technology Feature |
Wearable biosensor measures fertility hormones in sweat
Ring-like device blends nanoelectronics and folded RNA to track hormone levels without the need for invasive blood tests.
- Amanda Heidt
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News |
These brain cells could influence how fast you eat — and when you stop
Scientists found the cells in mice — and say they could lead to a better understanding of human appetite.
- Carissa Wong
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News |
Giant UK programme to lower people’s blood-sugar levels really works
One of the world’s biggest campaigns to prevent diabetes through behaviour change holds promise for public-health gains.
- Heidi Ledford
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News Explainer |
Anti-obesity drugs’ side effects: what we know so far
Recent studies evaluate risks associated with drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro.
- Mariana Lenharo
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News |
Monkey survives for two years after gene-edited pig-kidney transplant
Survival time is one of the longest for any interspecies transplant — and moves pig organs closer to human use.
- Max Kozlov
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News & Views |
Previously unknown pathway for lipid biosynthesis discovered
The pathway used by mammalian cells to make triglyceride lipids when supplies of fat molecules are high has long been known. A route that works when fat supplies are low has now been discovered.
- Jean E. Schaffer
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Research Highlight |
Brain mitochondria predict a mouse’s stress level
The number and DNA content of power-producing organelles in the brain account for part of the behavioural variation among mice.
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Article
| Open Access
Xiphoid nucleus of the midline thalamus controls cold-induced food seeking
Through leverage of whole-brain screening, in vivo calcium imaging and chemo- and optogenetic manipulations, it is demonstrated that the xiphoid nucleus serves as a key brain region in the promotion of cold-induced food-seeking behaviours.
- Neeraj K. Lal
- , Phuong Le
- & Li Ye
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News Explainer |
Anti-obesity drug also protects against heart disease — what happens next?
Clinical-trial data suggest that semaglutide, sold under the name Wegovy, slashes risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular incidents.
- Mariana Lenharo
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News Feature |
Four key questions on the new wave of anti-obesity drugs
Scientists want to know who will benefit most, what the long-term effects might be and whether the treatments will change views on obesity.
- McKenzie Prillaman
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Research Briefing |
A neural circuit to support survival in the face of starvation
Starvation causes levels of stress hormones called glucocorticoids to rise in the blood. The surge is driven by neuronal cells that produce a peptide called AgRP. These neurons do not excite glucocorticoid-regulating neurons directly, but instead silence neurons that usually constrain the activity of the body’s stress-response system.
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Article |
Neural basis for fasting activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis
Fasting-activated hypothalamic AgRP-expressing neurons trigger fasting-induced hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activation through projections to the paraventricular hypothalamus, where they activate CRH neurons by presynaptically inhibiting the terminals of tonically active GABAergic afferents from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.
- Amelia M. Douglass
- , Jon M. Resch
- & Bradford B. Lowell
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Research Briefing |
Energy burn in muscle boosted by a hormonal signalling axis
Restricting dietary calories leads to weight loss, but with time these effects diminish because the body’s metabolism slows down. A hormone called GDF15 is now shown to maintain weight loss during dieting by promoting energy expenditure through the activation of pathways that affect calcium levels in skeletal muscle.
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Nature Podcast |
Do octopuses dream? Neural activity resembles human sleep stages
Brain probes reveal complexities of octopus sleep, and a hormone that could help make calorie-restricted diets more effective.
- Benjamin Thompson
- & Shamini Bundell
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Article
| Open Access
GDF15 promotes weight loss by enhancing energy expenditure in muscle
GDF15 treatment in mice counteracts compensatory reductions in energy expenditure, resulting in greater weight loss and reductions in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease compared to caloric restriction alone.
- Dongdong Wang
- , Logan K. Townsend
- & Gregory R. Steinberg
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News |
Beyond Ozempic: brand-new obesity drugs will be cheaper and more effective
Hormone mimics offer advantages even beyond those of the potent weight-loss jabs on the market now.
- Saima Sidik
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News |
Taurine supplement makes animals live longer — what it means for people is unclear
The energy-drink ingredient offers striking health benefits in mice, monkeys and worms. But more work is needed to investigate its link with ageing.
- Myriam Vidal Valero
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News & Views |
Molecule in mothers’ milk nurses pups’ heart cells to maturity
A fatty acid in the milk of nursing mice has been found to trigger a transformation in the metabolic pathways that are active in pups’ heart muscle cells, enabling the cells to rapidly mature after birth.
- Pingzhu Zhou
- & William T. Pu
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Article |
γ-Linolenic acid in maternal milk drives cardiac metabolic maturation
The switch from glucose- to fatty acid-dependent metabolism in cardiomyocytes of newborn mice is governed by γ-linolenic acid in maternal milk, which binds to retinoid X receptors, thereby causing a transcription-dependent metabolic transition.
- Ana Paredes
- , Raquel Justo-Méndez
- & Mercedes Ricote
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News |
Game-changing obesity drugs go mainstream: what scientists are learning
Studies tackle who’s most likely to lose weight on the new generation of anti-obesity medications.
- Mariana Lenharo
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News & Views |
Phosphate-storing organelle discovered in fruit flies
Inorganic phosphate is an essential mineral for cellular metabolism and signalling. It emerges that a fruit-fly organelle can store this chemical in the form of phospholipids, releasing it in times of need.
- Emily Strachan
- & Irene Miguel-Aliaga
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News & Views |
Learning the metabolic language of cancer
The conversion of dietary sugar to the molecule lactate is a hallmark of many cancers. The discovery of a new binding partner of lactate provides insight into how cells link nutrient metabolism to the decision to divide.
- Minervo Perez
- & Jordan L. Meier
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Article |
Clonal haematopoiesis and risk of chronic liver disease
A study shows that clonal haematopoiesis of indeterminate potential is associated with an increased risk of chronic liver disease specifically through the promotion of liver inflammation and injury.
- Waihay J. Wong
- , Connor Emdin
- & Pradeep Natarajan
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Research Briefing |
Genome-based scores predict thousands of molecular traits in humans
Genetic scores for predicting levels of several types of biomolecule have been developed and validated in people of diverse ancestries, and used to uncover insights into disease biology. An open resource to disseminate these scores, OmicsPred, will enable researchers to predict various molecular traits from genetic profiles in their own data sets.
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Article |
Ornithine aminotransferase supports polyamine synthesis in pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells show a specific dependency on ornithine aminotransferase-mediated ornithine synthesis from glutamine, providing an opportunity to develop targeted therapies with minimal toxicity for this cancer.
- Min-Sik Lee
- , Courtney Dennis
- & Nada Y. Kalaany
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News & Views |
Mitochondrial molecule controls inflammation
Cellular organelles called mitochondria contain their own DNA and RNA. The molecule fumarate has now been found to trigger the release of these nucleic acids into the cytosol, aberrantly activating inflammation.
- Taylor A. Poor
- & Navdeep S. Chandel
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News |
Diabetes and obesity are rising globally — but some nations are hit harder
Rates of type 2 diabetes and other conditions caused by disorders of the body’s energy-processing system are driven in part by changing food habits.
- Saima May Sidik
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News & Views |
Fatty acids prime the lung as a site for tumour spread
The mechanisms that enable the deadly spread of cancer are not fully understood. It emerges that tumours can signal to the lung to manipulate lipids and so prime the organ to support tumour cells that subsequently spread there.
- Laura V. Pinheiro
- & Kathryn E. Wellen
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News |
Sex, food or water? How mice decide
Neurons that regulate a mouse’s response to hunger and thirst also influence social interactions with the opposite sex.
- Heidi Ledford
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Research Highlight |
Exercise triggers fat breakdown at some times of day and not others
Adipose tissue in mice dumps fat during early workouts rather than late ones.
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Research Briefing |
Thrifty energy metabolism in solid tumours
The activity of two energy-producing metabolic pathways was recorded in different types of healthy tissue and solid-tumour tissue in mice. Comparisons of these measurements revealed that solid tumours make and use energy more slowly than do most healthy tissues, even though tumours grow and show cell division.
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Research Briefing |
A census of complexes formed by mitochondrial proteins
Mitochondria are intracellular organelles that contain a large set of proteins to help them produce energy, among other functions. A systematic analysis reveals how mitochondrial proteins are organized into complexes and assemblies, facilitating the identification of the molecular mechanisms and pathways that underlie the organelle’s many functions.
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News & Views |
Serine deficiency causes complications in diabetes
Impaired sensory-nerve function is a common complication of diabetes. Evidence in mice indicates that deficiency of the amino acid serine causes these complications — and suggests that supplements could help to treat them.
- Thorsten Hornemann
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Nature Podcast |
Amino acid slows nerve damage from diabetes, in mouse study
Experiments show the role that serine may play in a common diabetes complication.
- Nick Petrić Howe
- & Shamini Bundell
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Article
| Open Access
Insulin-regulated serine and lipid metabolism drive peripheral neuropathy
Serine deficiency can increase small fibre neuropathy in wild-type mice and serine replacement in diabetic mice alleviates diabetic neuropathy, directly linking amino acid metabolism to peripheral nerve disorders.
- Michal K. Handzlik
- , Jivani M. Gengatharan
- & Christian M. Metallo
Obesity drugs aren’t always forever. What happens when you quit?