{"id":404692,"date":"2026-08-12T17:08:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T17:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/404692\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T17:08:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T17:08:09","slug":"ut-health-san-antonio-study-reveals-how-the-livers-internal-clock-may-influence-metabolism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/404692\/","title":{"rendered":"UT Health San Antonio study reveals how the liver\u2019s internal clock may influence metabolism"},"content":{"rendered":"

Contact: Eileen Teves, 210-450-7239, tevese@uthscsa.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Content provided by Claire Kowalick<\/p>\n

SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 12, 2026\u00a0\u2014 What if one of the keys to a healthier metabolism is understanding how and when the liver communicates with the rest of the body?<\/p>\n

Researchers at UT Health San Antonio<\/a>, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio), have uncovered how the liver\u2019s internal clock coordinates the release of proteins that help regulate metabolism.<\/p>\n

Published June 2 in\u00a0Nature Communications<\/a>, the study found that many of these proteins are released according to a precise daily schedule, allowing the liver to communicate with organs such as fat tissue at specific times of the day. The findings could help guide future research on metabolic disease, along with timing meals and medication.<\/p>\n

For many biological functions, timing is everything. Nearly every cell in the body contains its own molecular clock, helping coordinate daily processes such as metabolism. Researchers are working to better understand how these clocks communicate with one another.<\/p>\n

\"\"Kevin Koronowski, PhD<\/p>\n

\u201cAny cell with a nucleus is likely to express the molecular clock. We are interested in how cells work together and coordinate their activities,\u201d said Kevin Koronowski, PhD<\/a>, assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology<\/a> at the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine<\/a> and the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies<\/a>. \u201cThe clock is one way the body can organize physiology in an efficient and appropriate manner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Researchers have long known that disrupted sleep schedules and irregular eating patterns increase the risk of obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Because the liver plays a central role in metabolism, scientists wanted to better understand how its internal clock regulates the release of proteins that communicate with other organs.<\/p>\n

Christopher Litwin,<\/a> a fourth-year PhD student in Koronowski\u2019s lab and first author on the study, said that while researchers have known the liver regulates the secretion of some of the proteins, they lacked a developed measure of how and when proteins were released.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought the time-dependent release of proteins may be important for coordinating metabolism in tissues like fat or muscle,\u201d said Litwin. \u201cThe core idea is that the clock regulates protein secretion and can influence metabolism across the day, and in other tissues.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the study\u2019s biggest discoveries was that a liver protein called endostatin was most effective at helping break down fat when it was released on the liver\u2019s natural daily schedule. The finding suggests that future treatments based on this protein may work best if they\u2019re given at the right time of day. The research team is continuing to investigate new approaches that could lead to future therapeutic benefits.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are interested in developing and characterizing novel peptides. We want to find the next GLP-1 drug, or even something better that is waiting to be discovered,\u201d said Koronowski.<\/p>\n

To read the full story, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n

UT Health San Antonio<\/a> is the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio), offering a comprehensive network of inpatient and outpatient care facilities staffed by medical, dental, nursing and allied health professionals who conduct more than 2.5 million patient visits each year. It is the region\u2019s only academic health center and\u00a0one of the nation\u2019s leading health sciences institutions, supported by the schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions, graduate biomedical sciences and public health that\u00a0are leading change and advancing fields throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways \u201cWe make lives better\u00ae,\u201d visit UTHealthSA.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Stay connected with UT Health San Antonio on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a>, Instagram\u00a0<\/a>and YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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