Global research into the gut microbiome has exploded over the past decade, with most of the spotlight shining on the complex, health-shaping roles of bacteria in our intestines. But the gut isn’t home to bacteria alone — it also harbors a bustling community of fungi and other microorganisms that are only beginning to get the scientific attention they deserve.
The latest study from immunologists at Peking University, published in Science, reveals that a common gut fungus may do more than just coexist with us — it could help reverse the progression of a serious liver disease, offering a promising new angle for treatment in a field that sorely needs it.
Fighting Fatty Liver Disease
Fatty liver disease has a tight grip on global health. With the steady rise in obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood sugar levels, it’s now estimated that about a third of the world’s adult population is affected.
Known formally as Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and previously labeled Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), this condition occurs when fat builds up in the liver, sparking inflammation and potentially progressing to advanced liver damage or even liver failure.
Despite how common it is, treatment options remain frustratingly limited. Which is why scientists have been looking elsewhere, including deep inside our guts, for answers.
Read More: The Complex Causes of Liver Disease
Fecal Chips and Fungal Clues
We’ve long known that the gut and the liver talk to each other, a connection often called the gut-liver axis. Most of that conversation was thought to happen through bacteria. But what about the fungi?
So far, they’ve mostly been left out of the chat. One reason: fungi are much harder to study. Unlike bacteria, they don’t always grow well using traditional lab methods. So to crack the fungal code, researcher Shuang Zhou and her colleagues designed an innovative solution: fungal isolation chips, or “FiChips.” According to a press release, these clever little devices recreate the fecal environment in which gut fungi naturally thrive, making it possible to grow and study fungal species that have previously eluded detection.
With this tool, the team isolated 161 fungal species from human stool samples across China. Among them, one stood out — Fusarium foetens. This fungus could survive without oxygen, colonize mouse intestines with just a single dose, and — most intriguingly — showed up frequently in global microbiome datasets, suggesting it’s no stranger to the human gut.
The Fungus That Fights Liver Disease
In a mouse model of liver disease — specifically, mice fed a high-fat diet to mimic human MAFLD — those treated with F. foetens showed significant improvements. The team traced the therapeutic effect to a compound secreted by the fungus: FF-C1. This metabolite turned out to be a potent inhibitor of an enzyme called CerS6 (ceramide synthase 6), which is involved in producing ceramides — lipid molecules tied to metabolic dysfunction.
By blocking CerS6 in the gut, FF-C1 lowered ceramide levels in the bloodstream, helping restore liver health. In short, this microscopic gut-dweller pulled off what many pharmaceuticals have struggled to do: reverse the progression of fatty liver disease.
Zhou and her team’s findings spotlight the fungal microbiome as a vast, largely unexplored resource for potential therapies. While this study focused on one fungal species and one metabolite, it opens the door to many more. With the right tools — like FiChips — and a fresh perspective, fungi may just prove to be the next wave of gut-based medicine. After all, these microscopic allies have been quietly working in our guts all along.
This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.
Read More: Gut Microbes The Get You Drunk and Damage Your Liver
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Having worked as a biomedical research assistant in labs across three countries, Jenny excels at translating complex scientific concepts – ranging from medical breakthroughs and pharmacological discoveries to the latest in nutrition – into engaging, accessible content. Her interests extend to topics such as human evolution, psychology, and quirky animal stories. When she’s not immersed in a popular science book, you’ll find her catching waves or cruising around Vancouver Island on her longboard.
