Intercepting Modes of Cellular Communication.

Metabolic homeostasis is maintained through a delicate balance of communication within and between multiple organ systems. These communication networks are essential for regulating nutrient intake, utilization, and storage. Conditions of metabolic dysfunction can impair proper tissue communication, which contributes to the progression of metabolic disease including obesity, hepatic steatosis, and type II diabetes. In this issue of Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, we highlight new advances in transcellular and interorgan communication, particularly in the liver and gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and how impairments in these biologic networks contribute to metabolic disease. In addition, we emphasize the therapeutic potential for modulating these communication pathways to treat metabolic disease.