MUSC researchers are tackling MASH, or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, a liver disease affecting hundreds of millions worldwide. It is also a leading cause of liver transplantation, yet treatment options remain limited. A new paper published in Nature partner journal (npj) Metabolic Health and Disease suggests that a widely used asthma medication, formoterol, could potentially offer a different therapeutic pathway altogether.

A largely overlooked structure inside our cells may play a crucial role in how the brain forms, offering new insight into developmental disorders and potential therapies.

For decades, physicians and scientists thought metformin, the leading Type 2 diabetes medication taken by millions worldwide, mainly targets the liver to suppress glucose production. But a new Northwestern University study in mice has found this “wonder drug” instead focuses primarily on the gut, acting to prevent glucose levels rising in the blood by driving glucose utilization inside cells lining the intestine. 

The study found metformin slows mitochondrial energy production in gut cells, forcing the intestine to metabolize extra sugar. 

The findings also reveal unexpected parallels with berberine, a popular plant-derived, over-the-counter supplement often used to control blood sugar. Berberine has recently gained attention on social media as “nature’s Ozempic,” though experts caution that evidence is still limited, and it should not be used as a substitute for approved medications. The study found berberine appears to engage the same pathway as metformin in the intestine. 

“Metformin has decades of clinical evidence behind it, whereas supplements like berberine are far less rigorously tested,” Chandel said. “If you're going to use berberine, you may as well use the real deal.”