MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY OF BILE ACID SIGNALING IN HEALTH, DISEASE, AND AGING

Over the past two decades, bile acids (BAs) have become established as important signaling molecules that enable fine-tuned inter-tissue communication from the liver, their site of production, over the intestine, where they are modified by the gut microbiota, to virtually any organ, where they exert their pleiotropic physiological effects. The chemical variety of BAs, to a large extent determined by the gut microbiome, also allows for a complex fine-tuning of adaptive responses in our body. This review provides an overview of the mechanisms by which BA receptors coordinate several aspects of physiology and highlights new therapeutic strategies for diseases underlying pathological BA signaling.

Automated summary

Bile acids have become important signaling molecules in the body, enabling inter-tissue communication and exerting pleiotropic physiological effects. The chemical variety of bile acids, largely determined by the gut microbiome, allows for complex adaptive responses in the body. This review discusses the mechanisms by which bile acid receptors coordinate various aspects of physiology and presents new therapeutic strategies for diseases related to pathological bile acid signaling.