Cell Metabolism

Exerkine GPLD1 bridges liver and brain

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Abstract

A recent study by Bieri et al. shows that exercise elevates hepatic glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D1 (GPLD1), which cleaves endothelial tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) to rejuvenate cerebrovascular signaling, enhance cognition in aging, and attenuate Alzheimer's-related pathology. This liver-to-brain enzymatic axis positions hepatokines as potent mediators of exercise-induced neuroprotection, which redefines systemic metabolism as a driver of brain resilience.

The paper

University of California, Irvine; Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre

Cell Metabolism, 5 May 2026

doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2026.04.002PubMed 42091041