Annual review of physiologyPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-09-18DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-042924-084007
Francesca Polverino, Don D Sin
{"title":"The Developmental Origins of Asthma and COPD.","authors":"Francesca Polverino, Don D Sin","doi":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-042924-084007","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-042924-084007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Approximately two-thirds of cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and adult asthma are in part driven by impaired lung development related to early-life events. Many children who suffer insults to their lungs during the first few years of life experience abnormal lung development, growth, and/or maturation, leading to impaired lung function, which may persist throughout their lifespan. This abnormal lung trajectory may be exacerbated by lung dysanapsis, genetic and epigenetic alterations, oxidative stress and/or inflammation in the airways related to environmental factors including exposure to active or secondhand smoke, air pollution, poor nutrition and social deprivation, and repeated childhood respiratory tract infections. Children with asthma may transition to COPD in adulthood if their asthma is poorly controlled or in the presence of other risk factors such as smoking. As many of these factors are modifiable, prompt diagnosis and implementation of preventive measures should be considered as early as possible in children at risk for abnormal lung development. This review provides an update on the interplay between genetic, environmental, and socioeconomic factors, their cumulative impact on lung development, and its implication for the risk and burden of asthma and COPD in the global population.</p>","PeriodicalId":8196,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of physiology","volume":" ","pages":"513-535"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145084935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annual review of physiologyPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-10DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-042324-100329
Clemence Blouet, Gary J Schwartz
{"title":"Brain Nutrient Sensing: A Unifying Framework.","authors":"Clemence Blouet, Gary J Schwartz","doi":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-042324-100329","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-042324-100329","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Whole-body nutrient homeostasis is critical for healthy growth, successful reproduction, and survival. We propose a conceptual framework emphasizing the role of brain nutrient sensing in mediating adaptive responses for the maintenance of nutrient homeostasis. Specialized brain nutrient-sensing cells monitor nutrients and meal-related signals, provide feedback responses to maintain internal nutrient availability, and adapt physiological functions according to environmental nutrient fluctuations. Maladaptive functioning of these pathways may underlie multiple pathophysiological conditions, including cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. By examining recent advances, this review highlights the importance of brain nutrient sensing in adaptive systemic physiology and behavior, exploring the potential of these neural pathways as therapeutic targets extending beyond obesity management. Ultimately, the goal of this review is to synthesize current evidence into a coherent framework that guides new mechanistic hypotheses, facilitating deeper investigation into how brain nutrient sensing influences health and contributes to disease pathogenesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":8196,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of physiology","volume":" ","pages":"203-227"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145487602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annual review of physiologyPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-07DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-061324-091825
Fang Yu, Lama Assaf, Khaled Machaca
{"title":"Coordinated Remodeling of Ca2+ Signaling and Intracellular Organelles During Cell Division.","authors":"Fang Yu, Lama Assaf, Khaled Machaca","doi":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-061324-091825","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-061324-091825","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cell division is essential for organismal growth and development and is associated with changes in signaling dynamics, including Ca2+ signaling, to meet structural, functional, and energetic needs. The process of cell division must ensure equal separation of both the genetic material and cellular organelles. Organelle segregation to the daughter cells is in most cases associated with their remodeling to support equal distribution. Here, we review the concurrent remodeling of organelles and Ca2+ signaling during cell division. Interesting patterns emerge, showing that organelle dynamics, specifically the plasma membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria, underlie Ca2+ signaling remodeling during cell division.</p>","PeriodicalId":8196,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of physiology","volume":" ","pages":"417-436"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145470617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annual review of physiologyPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-04DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-043024-115512
Juliana H Boukhaled, Emily M Martin, Nathalie Gayrard, Àngel Argilés, Morten A Karsdal, Federica Genovese
{"title":"Scarred by Fibrosis: The Heart-Kidney Disease Connection.","authors":"Juliana H Boukhaled, Emily M Martin, Nathalie Gayrard, Àngel Argilés, Morten A Karsdal, Federica Genovese","doi":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-043024-115512","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-043024-115512","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) represents a complex interplay of pathophysiological processes that create a self-perpetuating cycle of heart and kidney dysfunction. While it is clearly understood how hemodynamic changes connect pathogenesis in the two organs, other processes are also in play. Some are the structural changes involving both the cellular and extracellular compartments that precede functional alterations. Fibrosis, which is initiated by an inflammatory response triggering myofibroblast activation and excessive extracellular matrix production, is a common denominator of heart and kidney pathology in CRS. This review focuses on fibroblast activities as a crucial factor in disease onset and progression in CRS. We explore how fibrosis in one organ can trigger or worsen dysfunction in the other organ, and we describe the key pathological signaling pathways of cardiorenal fibrosis, the extracellular matrix-derived biomarkers that can aid clinical management and drug development, and the therapeutic opportunities that can be beneficial in CRS by targeting fibroblast activities.</p>","PeriodicalId":8196,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of physiology","volume":" ","pages":"183-202"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145443623","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annual review of physiologyPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-10DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-050624-092133
Annika Keller
{"title":"Pathophysiology of Primary Familial Brain Calcification.","authors":"Annika Keller","doi":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-050624-092133","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-050624-092133","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Primary familial brain calcification (PFBC) is a dominantly or recessively inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by bilateral basal ganglia calcifications. Patients affected by PFBC present with diverse motor and nonmotor symptoms. Mutations in seven genes (<i>SLC20A2</i>, <i>XPR1</i>, <i>PDGFB</i>, <i>PDGFRB</i>, <i>MYORG</i>, <i>NAA60</i>, and <i>JAM2</i>) are associated with PFBC. PFBC genes encode proteins that comprise inorganic phosphate transporters, growth factor and its receptor, a cell adhesion molecule, and enzymes. It remains to be determined whether these proteins interact within a single disrupted pathway or whether mutations affect distinct pathways in the same cell type. Although vessel calcification is a diagnostic criterion of PFBC, its causal role in neurodegeneration needs to be established. This review provides an overview of PFBC genes, including animal models that have yielded insights into the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms, such as the role of specific cell types in the progression of vascular calcification.</p>","PeriodicalId":8196,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of physiology","volume":" ","pages":"273-296"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145487663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annual review of physiologyPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-09-02DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-050724-022450
Rachel Q Muir, Jiaojiao Xu, Alexandra D Medcalf, Jennifer L Pluznick
{"title":"Novel Advances in Our Understanding of Sex-Dependent Control of Blood Pressure.","authors":"Rachel Q Muir, Jiaojiao Xu, Alexandra D Medcalf, Jennifer L Pluznick","doi":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-050724-022450","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-050724-022450","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sex differences in blood pressure are evident from puberty through menopause, with premenopausal females exhibiting lower blood pressure than males. This review discusses key factors contributing to sex differences in blood pressure, focusing on the normotensive state. Key contributions from a number of systems are discussed, including cardiovascular and renal function, oxidative stress, immune cell involvement, the microbiome, and the roles of the nervous system and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Additionally, we highlight novel advances in the field, including findings related to the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), Klotho, olfactory receptor 558 (OLFR558), and the four-core genotype (FCG) model. Insights from clinical data and their implications for hypertension management are also considered. In sum, this review aims to integrate current knowledge on sex differences in blood pressure regulation to inform future research and clinical care.</p>","PeriodicalId":8196,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of physiology","volume":" ","pages":"321-343"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12599063/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144940269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annual review of physiologyPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-022724-105249
Elena Oancea, Ramses R M Nestor
{"title":"Light Out of Sight: Signaling Mechanisms for Nonvisual Opsins.","authors":"Elena Oancea, Ramses R M Nestor","doi":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-022724-105249","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-022724-105249","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Life on earth evolved under daily cycles of sunlight, and all species developed mechanisms for detecting and responding to solar wavelengths reaching the surface of the earth. Early phototransduction studies found that our eyes detect visible wavelengths using light-activated G protein-coupled receptors named opsins. Many years after discovering the mechanisms by which rhodopsin (opsin 2) and the cone opsins (opsin 1) mediate vision, three other members of the opsin family (opsins 3, 4, and 5) were identified and, surprisingly, found to be expressed in the brain and peripheral organs. Named nonvisual opsins (NVOs), these receptors mediate physiological light responses, such as pupillary light reflex and circadian rhythms. NVOs have been the focus of an increasing number of extraocular phototransduction studies, illuminating novel ways in which light modulates human physiology. This review summarizes our current knowledge on signaling mechanisms mediating nonvisual photoreception and their physiological functions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8196,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of physiology","volume":" ","pages":"47-71"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145659953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Per Kristian Eide, Cesar Luis Vera Quesada, Geir Ringstad
{"title":"Cerebrospinal Fluid-Mediated Brain Clearance: Insights from Human Studies.","authors":"Per Kristian Eide, Cesar Luis Vera Quesada, Geir Ringstad","doi":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-043024-120520","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-physiol-043024-120520","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Clearance of waste products from brain metabolism and by-products of brain injury is a fundamental aspect of normal brain function. Impaired clearance may cause accumulation of proteins and other substances that are harmful to the brain. Abnormal protein aggregation due to clearance failure is a hallmark of neurodegenerative and dementia diseases. Cerebral clearance processes rely on multiple mechanisms; in recent years, it has become increasingly evident that brain fluids, primarily by the exchange of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and interstitial fluid, are essential for removing cerebral waste products. These fluids are integral to the glymphatic clearance system operating along perivascular pathways and clearance via meningeal lymphatic pathways. Translational human imaging research has bridged observations from animals to humans but also revealed species differences. CSF influx to the brain is enhanced by a compartmentalized subarachnoid space, and solute efflux from brain is highly dependent on CSF efflux, mainly to meningeal lymphatic vessels.</p>","PeriodicalId":8196,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of physiology","volume":"88 1","pages":"297-320"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146155835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"CaMKII in the Heart: From Homeostasis to Pathology.","authors":"Alicia Mattiazzi, Donald M Bers","doi":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-043024-114759","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-physiol-043024-114759","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Calcium (Ca)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a signaling molecule with critical roles in diverse cellular functions, particularly in the brain and heart, where it is highly expressed. In the heart, CaMKII regulates key processes such as contractility, pacemaking, and electrical conduction by phosphorylating a broad array of intracellular substrates, including ion channels, Ca-handling proteins, and transcription factors. However, its sensitivity to multiple signaling stimuli-including intracellular Ca, reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, and glycolytic by-products-has made CaMKII more recognized for its pathological actions, such as promoting arrhythmias, cell death, and inflammatory signaling. In this review, we discuss CaMKII's involvement in less well-characterized physiological processes, along with its established roles in ventricular arrhythmias and cell death.</p>","PeriodicalId":8196,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of physiology","volume":"88 1","pages":"99-128"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146155878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annual review of physiologyPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-09-17DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-051524-094728
Savanna N Weninger, Andrew Manley, Frank A Duca
{"title":"Managing Glucose Homeostasis Through the Gut Microbiome.","authors":"Savanna N Weninger, Andrew Manley, Frank A Duca","doi":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-051524-094728","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-physiol-051524-094728","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The gut microbiota is a salient contributor to the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) as a vast and complex metabolic cross talk that exists between the bacteria residing in the gastrointestinal tract and the host. This cross talk is largely influenced by external factors including diet, highlighting a potential avenue to effectively manipulate the gut microbiota to treat metabolic diseases such as diabetes. In this review, we discuss the influence of the gut microbiota on T2D development and targeting gut microbiota in both current and novel treatments for T2D, highlighting potential alternative therapies including fecal microbiota transplant, prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, or xenobiotics. A better understanding of both the impact of the gut microbiota in the etiology of diabetes and the therapeutic potential for manipulating the gut microbiota in metabolic disease could usher in a new approach to targeted treatment options to ameliorate T2D.</p>","PeriodicalId":8196,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of physiology","volume":" ","pages":"459-486"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145079461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}