Unlike our organs, cell organelles such as mitochondria are not fixed in place, but when, where, how, and why organelles move remain unclear. Research publishing December 18 in the Cell Press journal Biophysical Journal shows that when beta cells—the pancreatic cells that produce insulin—are exposed to high levels of glucose, their mitochondria move toward the cell’s periphery. This mitochondrial migration could play a role in regulating insulin secretion because beta cells’ mitochondria are responsible for sensing glucose levels. 

City of Hope will detail a Nature Metabolism study by Dr. Charles Brenner, which uncovered how citrin deficiency (CD) can trigger fat buildup in the liver — even in lean individuals. The research reveals how the liver turns on a hormone that reduces cravings for sweets and alcohol. The findings could lead to new therapies for a variety of health conditions, including fatty liver disease or MASLD, which afflicts more than 1 billion people worldwide and increases the risk for developing type 2 diabetes and liver cancer.