A team of Canadian scientists has found a surprising new way to lower blood sugar and reduce liver damage.
They discovered that by stopping a little-known fuel made by gut bacteria before it gets into the body, they could improve health in mice with obesity.
This discovery could lead to new treatments for diseases like type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease.
The study, published on July 29, 2025, in the journal Cell Metabolism, was done by researchers from McMaster University, Université Laval, and the University of Ottawa.
Inside the gut, there are many tiny microbes that help digest food. These microbes sometimes produce a molecule called D-lactate. Normally, the body uses a similar molecule, L-lactate, made by muscles. It is part of a well-known process called the Cori cycle, which helps muscles and the liver share energy.
The Cori cycle was discovered in the 1940s by scientists Carl and Gerty Cori, who won a Nobel Prize for their work. They showed that muscles make L-lactate, which goes to the liver, where it gets turned into glucose (sugar). This sugar then travels back to the muscles to be used as energy.
But the new study shows that gut bacteria can also be part of this energy exchange — and not in a good way. The D-lactate made by gut microbes gets into the blood and tells the liver to make too much glucose and fat. This can raise blood sugar levels and lead to fatty liver disease.
To stop this, the scientists made a special material called a “gut substrate trap.” It is a safe, biodegradable substance that sticks to D-lactate in the gut and keeps it from getting into the body.
When obese mice were given this trap, their blood sugar levels dropped. They also had less liver fat, less inflammation, and better insulin sensitivity — all without changing their food or losing weight.
“This is a completely new way to treat diseases like type 2 diabetes and fatty liver,” said Jonathan Schertzer, one of the lead researchers and a professor at McMaster University. “Instead of treating the liver or using hormones, we’re stopping a harmful substance made by gut bacteria before it can cause damage.”
Schertzer is part of the Centre for Metabolism, Obesity, and Diabetes Research and the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute. He also holds a Canada Research Chair in Metabolic Inflammation.
The findings open up a new area of research into how gut microbes affect our health. Scientists hope that one day this approach could lead to new treatments for people with diabetes or liver disease — without needing to change their lifestyle or take strong drugs.
The study is published in Cell Metabolism.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
