Overview
- Published in Nature Metabolism, the work was led by researchers at Imperial College London with colleagues at UCLouvain and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.
- Trimethylamine (TMA), produced by gut bacteria from dietary choline found in foods such as eggs, liver, and seafood, was pinpointed as the active metabolite.
- Experiments in human cell models and mice showed that TMA binds to the immune kinase IRAK4, dampens fat-induced inflammatory signaling, and restores insulin sensitivity.
- Genetic deletion of IRAK4 or pharmacological blockade reproduced TMA’s beneficial effects, highlighting IRAK4 as a viable drug target for metabolic disease.
- The authors report protection against sepsis-related death in mice, while emphasizing that the findings are preclinical and will require human safety and efficacy studies before translation to therapies.