The gut microbiota is responsible for recovering energy from food, providing hosts with
vitamins, and providing a barrier function against exogenous pathogens. In addition, it is …

The intestinal tract is the largest barrier between a person and the environment. In this role,
the intestinal tract is responsible not only for absorbing essential dietary nutrients, but also …

Emerging evidence strongly suggest that the human “microbiome” plays an important role in
both health and disease. Bile acids function both as detergents molecules promoting …

Abstract Background and Aims The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
and steatohepatitis (NASH) is increasing at an alarming rate. The role of bile acids in the …

Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) is a naturally occurring hydrophilic bile acid that has
been used for centuries in Chinese medicine. Chemically, TUDCA is a taurine conjugate of …

Diseases that affect the eye, including photoreceptor degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and
glaucoma, affect 11.8 million people in the US, resulting in vision loss and blindness. Loss of …

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) comprise a group of common and debilitating chronic
intestinal disorders for which currently available therapies are often unsatisfactory. The …

Apoptosis is a prominent feature of liver diseases. Causative factors such as alcohol,
viruses, toxic bile acids, fatty acids, drugs, and immune response, can induce apoptotic cell …

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a pregnancy-specific liver disorder
characterized by maternal pruritus in the third trimester, raised serum bile acids and …

Several studies have characterized the cellular and molecular mechanisms of hepatocyte
injury caused by the retention of hydrophobic bile acids (BAs) in cholestatic diseases. BAs …