Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is among the most common chronic liver diseases and, when untreated, can progress to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. A new study led by Ronald Evans, PhD, found that production of the protein FGF1 in the liver varies throughout the day to regulate the timing of fat release from the liver into the bloodstream, acting as a circadian pacemaker for liver fat metabolism. 

This liver clock ensures fat enters the bloodstream on a precise daily schedule and prevents fat accumulation seen in MASLD. The findings may also help explain why circadian disruption, from shift work to chronic sleep loss, has been linked to metabolic disease. Each mechanistic step uncovered brings scientists closer to therapies grounded not just in symptom management, but also in the fundamental biology of how the body regulates fat.

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