Volume 7 Issue 6, June 2025

Leah Gates and Ben Weaver reflect on how overcoming different hurdles and dealing with unexpected events has ultimately shaped their careers. They also emphasize the importance of relying on a strong support network.

Although the gut microbiota can influence brain function, evidence for brain activity-driven changes in microbial communities is limited. Here, the authors provide direct support for bidirectional communication in the brain-to-gut axis by demonstrating that modulation of hypothalamic circuits can rapidly alter gut microbiota composition.

NAD kinases have a crucial role in the de novo synthesis of the cofactor NADP⁺ by phosphorylating NAD⁺ to yield NADP⁺. A study by Flickinger et al. uses physiologically relevant cell culture media with low folic acid levels and identifies the cytosolic NAD kinase NADK as essential factor for supporting dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) activity and folate-dependent nucleotide synthesis in cancer cells.

A new study reveals a surprising mechanism by which itaconate inhibits the active site of a peroxiredoxin enzyme to amplify redox signalling and the type I interferon response in macrophages.

A study in Nature Metabolism reports a protein-responsive gut hormone that regulates appetite, sleep and organismal lifespan. This finding sheds light on the evolutionarily conserved endocrine system that controls dietary protein intake.

The debate over whether to agonize or antagonize GIPR signalling has divided the obesity drug design field. Studies from Gutgesell et al. and Liu et al. represent important first steps towards disentangling divergent neural networks that explain the success of both strategies for promoting weight loss.

Hevener and Correa provide a comprehensive overview of the preclinical and clinical evidence showing the metabolic role of oestradiol and its receptors in both women and men.

Toledo et al. show that metabolic hormones acting in the hypothalamus, along with direct manipulation of hypothalamic neurons, can drive remodelling of microbial communities in the gut within short periods of time.

In a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, supplementation with a combination of conventional and gut-targeted nicotinamide was safe and effective in ameliorating COVID-19 symptoms.

In this study, Flickinger et al. uncover the essential role of cytosolic NADK and why the relative importance of this role further depends on folate availability.

Jackson et al. provide insight into how metabolic adaptations that accompany cell state transitions drive reliance on exogenous nutrient availability, focusing on pyruvate as a key metabolite in central carbon metabolism.

Itaconate is shown to non-covalently inhibit the antioxidant enzyme peroxiredoxin 5 in macrophages, thereby modulating the production of mitochondrial peroxide and enhancing the type I interferon production.

The authors describe how reduced dietary availability and systemic loss of cysteine leads to adipose tissue browning and rapid weight loss in mice and humans.

The gut hormone tachykinin (Tk) is found to be regulated by protein intake in flies and mice. In flies, Tk is shown to impact food choices, sleep and lifespan.

The authors describe a sensory circuit involving the medial septum (MS), where MS glutamatergic neurons integrate food odours to prime satiety and regulate nutrient intake.

This study, together with a companion manuscript, shows that in mice, weight loss as a result of GIP receptor antagonism requires and potentiates functional GLP-1 receptor signalling in the brain, explaining how both GIP receptor agonists and antagonists trigger weight loss through different mechanisms.

This study, together with a companion manuscript, show that, in mice, weight loss as a result of GIP receptor antagonism requires, and potentiates, functional GLP-1 receptor signalling in the brain, explaining how both GIP receptor agonists and antagonists trigger weight loss through different mechanisms.