Recent advances in targeting obesity, with a focus on TGF-β signaling and vagus nerve innervation.

Bioelectron Med

Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine, Divisions of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA.

Published: April 2025


Category Ranking

98%

Total Visits

921

Avg Visit Duration

2 minutes

Citations

20

Article Abstract

Over a third of the global population is affected by obesity, fatty liver disease (Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease, MASLD), and its severe form, MASH (Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis), which can ultimately progress to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent advancements include therapeutics such as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists and neural/vagal modulation strategies for these disorders. Among the many pathways regulating these conditions, emerging insights into transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling highlight potential future targets through its role in pathophysiological processes such as adipogenesis, inflammation, and fibrosis. Vagus nerve innervation in the gastrointestinal tract is involved in satiety regulation and energy homeostasis, and vagus nerve stimulation has been applied in weight loss and diabetes. This review explores clinical trials in obesity, novel therapeutic targets, and the role of TGF-β signaling and vagus nerve modulation in obesity-related liver diseases and HCC.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12042417PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s42234-025-00172-xDOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

vagus nerve
16
tgf-β signaling
12
signaling vagus
8
nerve innervation
8
liver disease
8
metabolic dysfunction-associated
8
targets role
8
advances targeting
4
targeting obesity
4
obesity focus
4

Similar Publications

Neural activity is increasingly recognized as a crucial regulator of cancer growth. In the brain, neuronal activity robustly influences glioma growth through paracrine mechanisms and by electrochemical integration of malignant cells into neural circuitry via neuron-to-glioma synapses. Outside of the central nervous system, innervation of tumours such as prostate, head and neck, breast, pancreatic, and gastrointestinal cancers by peripheral nerves similarly regulates cancer progression.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: This study explores the evolving landscape of gastrectomy procedures in Japan, based on nationwide surveys conducted in 2014 and 2021. It highlights changes in surgical approaches, including a growing focus on minimally invasive and function-preserving procedures, as well as the increasing consideration of postoperative quality of life (QOL).

Methods: Two nationwide questionnaire surveys were conducted in 2014 and 2021, targeting members of the Japanese Society for Gastro-surgical Pathophysiology.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN) were previously found to partly entail alterations in stress physiology including salivary cortisol (sC), and salivary alpha amylase (sAA) at rest and basal vagal tone (HF-HRV), compared to individuals without mental disorders or with mixed mental disorders (anxiety and depressive disorders), but corresponding data remain scarce and are not entirely consistent.

Method: HF-HRV, sC and sAA at rest were assessed in a female sample of 58 individuals with AN and 54 individuals with BN before and after psychotherapy and contrasted against measurements from 59 female individuals suffering from mixed disorders and 101female healthy controls.

Results: Values for sC were elevated in AN compared to all other groups, those for HF-HRV were highest in both AN and BN and lowest in mixed mental disorders and no differences were found at rest for sAA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a promising therapy for neurological and inflammatory disorders across multiple organ systems. However, conventional rigid interfaces fail to accommodate dynamic mechanical environments, leading to mechanical mismatches, tissue irritation, and unstable long-term interfaces. Although soft neural interfaces address these limitations, maintaining mechanical durability and stable electrical performance remains challenging.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF