Zhou QQ, Yao GY, Liu TF. From dinner table to liver: Allyl isothiocyanate aids metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease treatment. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(32): 117348 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.117348]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Teng-Fei Liu, PhD, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 241 Huaihai West Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200030, China. liutfei@alumni.sjtu.edu.cn
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
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editorial
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Zhou QQ, Yao GY, Liu TF. From dinner table to liver: Allyl isothiocyanate aids metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease treatment. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(32): 117348 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.117348]
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 28, 2026; 32(32): 117348 Published online Aug 28, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.117348
From dinner table to liver: Allyl isothiocyanate aids metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease treatment
Qing-Qing Zhou, Guang-Yu Yao, Teng-Fei Liu
Qing-Qing Zhou, Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Guang-Yu Yao, Department of Cancer Medical Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
Teng-Fei Liu, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
Co-first authors: Qing-Qing Zhou and Guang-Yu Yao.
Author contributions: Zhou QQ and Yao GY contributed to the conception and design of the study, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data, and drafting the article. They contributed equally to this manuscript and are co-first authors. Liu TF contributed to the conception and drafting of the initial article, and was responsible for the critical revision and final approval of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final version to be published.
AI contribution statement: We admit that we used tools to polish the text and also did it manually in the Medjaden editing company, while AI tools were not used in the Main Text of the manuscript and design of the study or interpretation of its results.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82404058; Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning, No. 2024ZZ2049; and Beijing Xisike Clinical Oncology Research Foundation, No. Y-HS202401-0011.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have nothing to disclose.
Corresponding author: Teng-Fei Liu, PhD, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 241 Huaihai West Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200030, China. liutfei@alumni.sjtu.edu.cn
Received: December 5, 2025 Revised: December 23, 2025 Accepted: February 9, 2026 Published online: August 28, 2026 Processing time: 239 Days and 14.3 Hours
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, affects approximately 25% of the world population. Despite this, no approved pharmacotherapy for MASLD has yet been developed. A recent study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology by Gao et al showed that allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a natural compound abundant in cruciferous vegetables, ameliorates MASLD by activating the vitamin D receptor (VDR) pathway in hepatocytes. Specifically, AITC upregulates the VDR to enhance the nuclear factor 4 alpha/microsomal triglyceride transfer protein/ApoB signaling pathway, promoting lipid export while simultaneously suppressing lipogenesis. The work by Gao et al bridges dietary compounds with hormonal pathways, offering a novel multi-target strategy for MASLD treatment, though its clinical translation still needs to be validated in vivo.
Core Tip: Gao et al reveal a novel mechanism: Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) alleviates metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease by activating hepatic the vitamin D receptor to upregulate nuclear factor 4 alpha/microsomal triglyceride transfer protein/ApoB-mediated lipid export. This observation highlights the potential of AITC as a multi-target nutraceutical, though its clinical translation hinges on overcoming pharmacokinetic and phenotypic heterogeneity challenges.
