{
  "id": 5599022,
  "title": "Gut-derived bacterial molecule may drive severe liver disease",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/gut-derived-bacterial-molecule-may-drive-severe-liver-disease",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-04T16:40:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-gut-derived-bacterial-molecule-severe.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Researchers from the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital have identified a molecule produced exclusively by gut bacteria that can worsen primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a severe liver disease. PSC is a chronic condition that often leads to liver transplantation and is a leading cause of liver transplants in Norway. The study, published in Nature Metabolism, targets a specific gut-derived molecule that drives disease progression, offering a potential treatment strategy. PSC affects both the liver and bile ducts, causing inflammation and scarring, leading to impaired bile flow and liver damage. The molecule, imidazole propionate, is produced by gut bacteria and activates a cellular system called mTOR, which regulates inflammation and scarring. Existing mTOR inhibitors, currently used as immunosuppressants after organ transplantation, may be repurposed as treatments for PSC. Clinical trials to evaluate these mTOR inhibitors are expected to begin within five years.",
  "summary": "Researchers at the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, together with international collaborators, have discovered that a small molecule made exclusively by gut bacteria can actively drive disease in the bile ducts and worsen primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a serious liver and bile duct disease.",
  "key_points": [
    "Gut bacteria produce imidazole propionate, worsening PSC",
    "Molecule activates mTOR, causing liver inflammation and scarring",
    "Existing mTOR inhibitors may treat PSC in upcoming clinical trials"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}