NIH R01 · 2025
Liver and kidney responses to bilirubin as a nuclear receptor hormone
Summary: The heme metabolite unconjugated bilirubin is toxic at high levels, but also has beneficial effects when slightly elevated within the normal range as seen in Gilbert’s syndrome, with benefits including protection from diabetic kidney disease and chronic kidney disease. These benefits had been attributed exclusively to the antioxidant properties of bilirubin, however several lines of evidence suggest not all bilirubin effects can be explained by antioxidant effects, and bilirubin can trigger receptor-mediated events. Thus, it remains unclear how bilirubin elicits beneficial effects protecting from kidney diseases. We recently discovered unconjugated bilirubin activates Liver…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.