From Structural Modification to Diverse Pharmacological Activities: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives of Bile Acids.

Bile acids (BAs) are amphiphilic steroid acids that exert a broad range of physiological effects-including the regulation of metabolism, immune responses, and inflammatory processes-through activation of specific receptors such as the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and the G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 (TGR5). The gut microbiota plays a critical role in BA metabolism, and alterations in the BA pool have been closely linked to various metabolic disorders, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes. Consequently, targeting BA signaling pathways offers a novel mechanistic perspective for the prevention and treatment of these metabolic and inflammatory diseases. With growing insight into the biological functions of BAs, the development of BA-based therapeutics and their structural derivatives is emerging as a promising strategy for the management of metabolic diseases.