Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41882076›Full record

Articlenpj metabolic health and disease2026

Beta 2 adrenergic receptor agonists as a treatment for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

Brennan S Winkler, Kristina M Stayer, Abhinav K Rao, Ehtesham Arif, Tsultrim T Mendenhall, Kristy L Thomas, Kylie R Driggers, Xiaofeng Zuo, Wayne Fitzgibbon, Peifeng Deng and 9 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in npj metabolic health and disease, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors.

Brennan S Winkler *Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Kristina M Stayer *Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Abhinav K RaoDepartment of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Ehtesham ArifDepartment of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Tsultrim T MendenhallDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Kristy L ThomasDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Kylie R DriggersDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Xiaofeng ZuoDepartment of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Wayne FitzgibbonDepartment of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Peifeng DengDepartment of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Yanhui SuDepartment of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Yujing DangDepartment of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Marie GergesDepartment of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Daniel KaganDepartment of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Vishwajeeth PashamDepartment of Pathology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Bethany WolfDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Don C RockeyDepartment of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Jessica H HartmanDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Joshua H LipschutzDepartment of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. Lipschut@musc.edu.

Funding

Regulation and Consequences of Cytochrome P450 2E1R35GM150843 · NIGMS · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · PI Jessica Helene Hartman · 2023 to 2026
$1.5M
Dialysis Clinics no nameNIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM150843United States National Institutes of Health, NIDDK P30DK123704United States National Institutes of Health, NIGMS P20GM130457U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs CX002391U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs I01BX006016
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

MASH is a leading cause of liver transplantation. Here, we investigated formoterol, a long-acting β2 adrenergic receptor agonist (LABA), in MASH. Mice treated with a high-fat diet (HFD) for sixteen weeks developed liver steatosis and were treated with formoterol or vehicle for four weeks. Steatosis largely resolved following formoterol treatment. To investigate mechanism, we evaluated mitochondrial biogenesis and found in HFD mice treated with formoterol versus vehicle that: PGC1α levels and electron transport chain components were significantly higher; mitochondrial number was increased; and lipids were decreased. Human HepaRG liver cells were then exposed to free fatty acids and/or formoterol. Formoterol attenuated lipid accumulation and increased ATP-linked basal and maximal respiration. Finally, a retrospective analysis of 59,644 patients with MASH showed that patients taking LABAs had fewer complications of advanced liver disease and lower mortality. Together, these data raise the possibility that LABAs, especially formoterol, could be a novel MASH treatment.

Identifiers

PMID41882076
PMCPMC13018619

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.