In a study from UC Davis, a gut bacterial metabolite has been used to reverse liver and gut cellular injury. The chemical is 10-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid (10-HSA), and is typically produced by Lactobacillus species. 10-HAS is a PPARα agonist, and stimulates collagen synthesis. The research team administered 10-HSA orally to mice who suffered from liver and intestinal damage due to aflatoxin. Mice treated with the 10-HSA demonstrated a return to normal levels of liver function, bile acid metabolites, gut epithelial integrity, and gut immune function.
The team plans to move forward with human clinical trials in the near future. The findings were published in mBio, here https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.01718-25