Approximately 30% of the global population is affected by metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD), a condition that previously lacked targeted treatments. In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have identified a genetic factor that exacerbates the disease, and remarkably, the FDA-approved drug that most effectively targets this factor is vitamin B3.
A collaborative research team led by Professor Jang Hyun Choi from the Department of Life Sciences at UNIST, in partnership with Professor Hwayoung Yun from the College of Pharmacy and Research Institute for Drug Development at Pusan National University (PNU), and Professor Neung Hwa Park from Ulsan University Hospital (UUH), has, for the first time globally, elucidated the role of microRNA-93 (miR-93), which is expressed in the liver, as a key genetic regulator in the development and progression of MASLD.
MiR-93 is a specialized RNA molecule expressed in hepatocytes that functions to suppress the expression of specific target genes. The team observed abnormally elevated levels of miR-93 in both patients with fatty liver disease and animal models. Through molecular analysis, they demonstrated that miR-93 promotes lipid accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis by inhibiting the expression of SIRT1, a gene involved in lipid metabolism within liver cells.
In experiments utilizing gene editing techniques to eliminate miR-93 production in mice, researchers observed a marked reduction in hepatic fat accumulation, along with significant improvements in insulin sensitivity and liver function indicators. Conversely, mice with overexpressed miR-93 exhibited worsened hepatic metabolic function.
Furthermore, screening 150 FDA-approved drugs revealed that niacin (vitamin B3) most effectively suppresses miR-93. Mice treated with niacin showed a significant decrease in hepatic miR-93 levels and a notable increase in SIRT1 activity. The activated SIRT1 restored disrupted lipid metabolism pathways, thereby normalizing liver lipid homeostasis.
The research team explained, “This study precisely elucidates the molecular origin of MASLD and demonstrates the potential for repurposing an already approved vitamin compound to modulate this pathway, which has high translational clinical relevance.”
They added, “Given that niacin is a well-established and safe medication used to treat hyperlipidemia, it holds promise as a candidate for combination therapies targeting miRNA pathways in MASLD.”
This research was supported by various including the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) and the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB). The findings were published online in the prestigious biomedical journal, Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental. Participants include Dr. Yo Han Lee and Kieun Park from UNIST, along with Professor Joonho Jeong from Ulsan University Hospital and Jinyoung Lee from Pusan National University, as co-first authors.

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He gained a following for techniques, notably one known as mewing, that he said could help fix crooked teeth without surgery. The medical establishment disagreed.John Mew, a British orthodontist whose unorthodox methods for fixing crooked teeth and resculpting jaws, including a technique widely known as mewing, were dismissed by the medical establishment but embraced by a huge audience online, died on June 25 at his home in Heathfield, in East Sussex, England. He was 96.His death, in a moated castle that he and his wife built in the 1990s, was announced in a video tribute by his son Mike Mew, who was also his business partner and fellow orthodontist. It was not widely reported at the time.“To many he was a genius, a visionary,” Mike Mew said in the video. “But he was also considered a heretic and a charlatan in equal proportions.”Dr. Mew’s philosophy was on the fringe of orthodontics. He held that crooked teeth were the result not, as mainstream orthodontists believe, of genetics, but of lifestyle and environmental changes since the 18th century that caused jaws to grow smaller and recessed, leading teeth to come in misaligned. He theorized that soft processed foods made jaw muscles weak, and that as people moved into polluted cities, they developed allergies that caused them to inhale through their mouths, not their noses, which warped their jaws.“As a result,” William Brennan wrote in a profile of the Mews in The New York Times Magazine in 2020, Dr. Mew believed that “we’ve been robbed not only of tidy smiles” but also of “the well-defined faces that were the birthright of our ancient ancestors, and which Mew regards as the mark of true beauty.”His solution, the foundation of what he called orthotropics, had the goal of increasing tongue space, expanding jaws and dental arches, and improving facial structure. It involves chewing harder food and using a specialized appliance for the mouth that moves the upper jaw and teeth forward. The appliance makes it uncomfortable for children to drop their lower jaw down or back.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

A major study has investigated the relationship between walking and the risk of developing chronic lower back problems. The findings could save the healthcare system significant amounts of money while also alleviating many people’s back pain – if we just follow the simple advice provided.
The results are clear: People who walk a lot have less back pain than people who do not walk much – and the volume is what matters most, not the intensity.. It is better to walk a lot than to walk fast.
“People who walk more than 100 minutes every day have a 23 per cent lower risk of lower back problems than those who walk 78 minutes or less,” said Rayane Haddadj.
He is a PhD candidate at the Department of Public Health and Nursing at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and is part of a research group that specifically studies musculoskeletal disorders.
The results of the new study were published in the JAMA Network Open journal. The article has already received a lot of attention.
Even leisurely strolls are beneficial
It probably comes as no surprise that physical activity is good for your back, but until now we have not actually known whether the amount of low-intensity walking we do also helps.

“Intensity also plays a role in the risk of long-term back problems, but not as much as the daily amount of walking,” emphasized Haddadj.
A total of 11,194 people participated in the study, which is part of the Trøndelag Health Study (The HUNT Study). What makes this study unique is that the volume and intensity of daily walking were measured using two sensors that participants wore on their thigh and back for up to a week.
The results may be important in relation to preventing chronic back problems. Until now, there has been little research on the prevention of these types of musculoskeletal problems. It is well known that physical activity can prevent a wide range of illnesses and ailments. This study is important because it confirms that physical activity, and especially daily walking, can help prevent long-term lower back problems.
Back pain is a very common ailment
“The findings highlight the importance of finding time to be physically active – to prevent both chronic back problems and a number of other diseases. Over time, this could lead to major savings for society,” said Paul Jarle Mork, a professor at NTNU’s Department of Public Health and Nursing.
Back and neck problems cost society several billion kroner every year. Musculoskeletal disorders are likely the largest expense within the Norwegian healthcare system.
Back pain is one of the most common health problems in Norway. Depending on what you include, between 60 and 80 per cent of us will experience back problems at some point in our lives. At any given time, around one in five Norwegians has back trouble.
The causes are many and complex, but the solution might be as simple as putting on your shoes and going for a walk – each and every day.