Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, remains a major focus and challenge in medical research. Recent advances in understanding the interplay between bile acid metabolism, gut microbiota, and immune cell function have revealed their critical roles in HCC progression. A recent study published in Cell Metabolism titled "AKR1D1 suppresses liver cancer progression by promoting bile acid metabolism-mediated NK cell cytotoxicity" has unveiled the mechanism by which AKR1D1 influences HCC progression through the "bile acid-gut microbiota-NK cell" axis, providing novel insights and therapeutic targets for HCC treatment.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a gradual decline in cognitive function, including memory loss, impaired thinking, and behavioral changes. The disease is strongly associated with aging and is most commonly observed in individuals over the age of 65.