{"id":24653,"date":"2026-06-26T11:40:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T09:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T13:00:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T11:00:57","slug":"a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/","title":{"rendered":"A study identifies a growth disorder caused by a faulty connection between the brain and the liver"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&#8220;Communications Biology&#8221; has published a study led by CSIC researcher \u00c1ngeles Almeida, a scientist at USAL, IBFG, and IBSAL, which highlights the key role of the neural connection between the brain and the liver in the first days of life<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The study reveals that a neurodevelopmental defect can prevent the liver from producing a molecule that is key to the body&#8217;s growth, even if the growth hormone is functioning properly<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A team of researchers has discovered that <strong>delayed physical growth may be linked to poor nerve connections between the brain and the liver during the early stages of life<\/strong>. This finding, based on animal models and the study of a patient with a specific genetic mutation, reveals that the liver needs to receive adequate nerve signals to produce a key growth molecule (IGF-1), even when growth hormone and its receptors are functioning properly. <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This study, led by researcher <strong>\u00c1ngeles Almeida<\/strong> of <a href=\"https:\/\/ibfg.usal-csic.es\/\">the Institute of Functional Biology and Genomics<\/a> (IBFG, a joint center of <a href=\"https:\/\/csic.es\">the CSIC and <\/a>the University of Salamanca) and the <a href=\"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/\">Salamanca Institute for Biomedical Research<\/a> (IBSAL) and a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the <a href=\"https:\/\/usal.es\">University of Salamanca<\/a>, opens new avenues for <strong>understanding and treating growth delay in children with neurodevelopmental disorders<\/strong>, offering an innovative perspective on the relationship between the nervous system and physical growth.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study, published in the high-impact scientific journal <em>*Communications Biology*<\/em>, suggests that certain abnormalities in children\u2019s physical development may stem not from a growth hormone (GH) deficiency, but rather from an early defect in the nervous system that prevents <strong>the liver<\/strong> from <strong>properly receiving the signals needed to produce IGF-1<\/strong>, a hormone essential for postnatal growth.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cUntil now, it was thought that the main problem in many patients with postnatal growth delay was due to a GH deficiency. But we have seen that it is not enough for this hormone to function properly: the liver also needs to be well connected to the nervous system,\u201d explains <strong>\u00c1ngeles Almeida.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-6F-3383B680-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23285\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-6F-3383B680-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-6F-3383B680-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-6F-3383B680-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-6F-3383B680-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-6F-3383B680-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00c1ngeles Almeida, the researcher leading the study. Source: IBFG (USAL-CSIC). <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Case of a Child with a Pathogenic Mutation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This work is part of a line of research on neurodevelopmental disorders that the group has been conducting for more than fifteen years. In previous studies, the researchers had demonstrated in animal models that the <strong>loss of a protein called Cdh1 disrupted the development of the cerebral cortex<\/strong> and caused problems such as microcephaly and deficits in neuron formation. <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Years later, a team from the Quir\u00f3nsalud University Hospital in Madrid contacted them after <strong>identifying a child with a pathogenic mutation in Cdh1 who presented with psychomotor disability, refractory epilepsy, and microcephaly<\/strong>\u2014a clinical picture very similar to that observed in the mice developed by the Salamanca group. The team then confirmed that this mutation was responsible for the patient\u2019s neurological abnormalities. <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Subsequently, other <strong>European<\/strong> hospitals <strong>identified new cases consistent with Cdh1 mutations,<\/strong> all of which were associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and growth delay.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe were very struck by the fact that <strong>these individuals exhibited significant growth retardation despite having normal levels of growth hormone<\/strong>. That\u2019s when we decided to investigate what was really going on,\u201d explains \u00c1ngeles Almeida. <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To do this, the team used mice that had been genetically modified to develop neurological abnormalities during embryonic development. They found that these animals had <strong>impaired communication between the sympathetic nervous system and the liver<\/strong>\u2014that is, an abnormality in hepatic innervation during the postnatal period. <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This \u201cpoor connection\u201d reduced the activation of a molecular pathway essential for the production of IGF-1. They observed that the classic hormonal axis of growth\u2014the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and GH\u2014functioned correctly, but the liver was unable to respond adequately due to the neurological disorder. As a result, IGF-1 levels decreased and growth retardation occurred.  <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cThe liver accumulates lipids, which prevents certain proteins from interacting properly. Growth hormone arrives and activates its receptors, but the signal can no longer be transmitted, and the liver stops synthesizing IGF-1.\u201d   <\/strong>&#8220;That&#8217;s where the real problem lies,&#8221; Almeida sums up.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-71-3383B680-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23286\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-71-3383B680-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-71-3383B680-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-71-3383B680-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-71-3383B680-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-71-3383B680.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A close-up of work in the laboratory. Source: IBFG (USAL-CSIC) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>IGF-1 administration reverses the delay<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the most significant findings of the study was that <strong>administering IGF-1 during the first few days of life reversed much of the<\/strong> growth <strong>retardation<\/strong> observed in the mice, even though the treatment did not correct the defect in hepatic innervation.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe were able to prevent a significant portion of growth abnormalities simply by administering exogenous IGF-1. This opens the door to <strong>potential future clinical applications for certain patients with neurodevelopmental disorders<\/strong>, <strong>\u201d<\/strong>Almeida notes. <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The results are also consistent with the findings in the child with a pathogenic Cdh1 mutation studied by the team, who had levels of IGF-1 and the proteins responsible for transporting it in the blood that were three to five times lower than normal.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to challenging the traditional view of how childhood growth is regulated, the study points to a pathway that is partially independent of GH, in which the sympathetic nervous system acts as an essential mediator in the liver&#8217;s production of IGF-1.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe always think of the brain when we talk about neurodevelopment, <strong>but the peripheral nervous system also needs to develop properly<\/strong>. We are convinced that this disconnect between the brain and organs such as the liver, pancreas, lungs, or heart can have very significant consequences for the body\u2019s development,\u201d says Almeida. <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The research involved collaboration with national and international groups specializing in neuroscience, magnetic resonance imaging, pathological anatomy, and super-resolution microscopy, including centers in France, Germany, Madrid, and the Basque Country. \u201cA highly multidisciplinary study,\u201d as the researcher notes. <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Neurobiologia-molecular-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23287\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Neurobiologia-molecular-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Neurobiologia-molecular-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Neurobiologia-molecular-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Neurobiologia-molecular-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Neurobiologia-molecular-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Molecular Neurobiology Group at IBSAL and IBFG (USAL-CSIC). Source: IBFG (USAL-CSIC). <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Neurodevelopment and Neurodegeneration<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This work is part of a broader line of research on neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration. The <strong>Molecular Neurobiology group led by \u00c1ngeles Almeida at the IBFG and the IBSAL<\/strong> studies how proteins involved in early brain development also play a role later on in neurodegenerative diseases associated with cognitive decline. <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cMany mechanisms that occur during neurodevelopment reappear later in neurodegenerative diseases. Understanding how neurons form and connect can also help us develop therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer\u2019s disease, stroke, and other neurological disorders,\u201d<\/strong> Almeida concludes.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next step in the research will be to study new Cdh1 mutations and determine whether similar alterations might be involved in some cases of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders whose causes are still unknown.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Article reference:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ver\u00f3nica Bobo-Jim\u00e9nez, Silvia Gomila, Rebeca Lapresa, Jes\u00fas Agulla, Julie Angibaud, Irene S\u00e1nchez-Mor\u00e1n, Mar\u00eda Delgado-Esteban, Agueda Gonz\u00e1lez-Rodr\u00edguez, Alberto Fern\u00e1ndez-Ja\u00e9n, Pedro Ramos-Cabrer, U. Valentin N\u00e4gerl, Juan P. Bola\u00f1os, and \u00c1ngeles Almeida. \u201cPerinatal liver sympathetic innervation governs body size.\u201d Communications Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1038\/s42003-026-09880-9.   <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>IBSAL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Salamanca Institute for Biomedical Research (IBSAL) was established on March 21, 2011, through an agreement signed by the Department of Health of the Regional Government of Castile and Le\u00f3n and the University of Salamanca, which was joined in February 2012 by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). It is one of the 36 health research institutes accredited by the Carlos III Health Institute. <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Its scientific activity is organized into six areas, comprising a total of 86 research groups: Cancer (22 groups); Cardiovascular, Renal, and Respiratory (11); Neuroscience (12); Infectious, Inflammatory, and Metabolic Diseases (19); Gene and Cell Therapy and Transplants (6); and Primary Care, Public Health, and Pharmacology (16).<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>For more information and contact details:<\/strong><br\/><a href=\"mailto:comunicacion@ibsal.es\"><strong>comunicacion@ibsal.es<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Communications Biology&#8221; has published a study led by CSIC researcher \u00c1ngeles Almeida, a scientist at USAL, IBFG, and IBSAL, which highlights the key role of the neural connection between the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":24655,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[238,239],"tags":[249],"class_list":["post-24653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-news-highlights","tag-neurosciences"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.12 (Yoast SEO v28.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A study identifies a growth disorder caused by a faulty connection between the brain and the liver | IBSAL<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A study identifies a growth disorder caused by a faulty connection between the brain and the liver\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&#8220;Communications Biology&#8221; has published a study led by CSIC researcher \u00c1ngeles Almeida, a scientist at USAL, IBFG, and IBSAL, which highlights the key role of the neural connection between the [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"IBSAL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-26T09:40:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-04T11:00:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-73-3383B680-1024x576.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"576\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sergi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sergi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sergi\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/34ba5672452d5f86b117e6cb49a6bb97\"},\"headline\":\"A study identifies a growth disorder caused by a faulty connection between the brain and the liver\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-26T09:40:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-04T11:00:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1260,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/298028-6A3BA200-73-3383B680.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Neurosciences\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\",\"News highlights\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\\\/\",\"name\":\"A study identifies a growth disorder caused by a faulty connection between the brain and the liver | IBSAL\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/298028-6A3BA200-73-3383B680.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-26T09:40:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-04T11:00:57+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/34ba5672452d5f86b117e6cb49a6bb97\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/298028-6A3BA200-73-3383B680.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/298028-6A3BA200-73-3383B680.png\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Portada\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/institute-of-biomedical-research-of-salamanca\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A study identifies a growth disorder caused by a faulty connection between the brain and the liver\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"IBSAL\",\"description\":\"Benchmarks in translational research in biomedicine in Castilla y Le\u00f3n\",\"alternateName\":\"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Biom\u00e9dica de Salamanca\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ibsal.es\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/34ba5672452d5f86b117e6cb49a6bb97\",\"name\":\"Sergi\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/528ac3b73275e0b7aaacef0c293ace2a4935f7e6f58f8b31465b2faf9ae5ed56?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/528ac3b73275e0b7aaacef0c293ace2a4935f7e6f58f8b31465b2faf9ae5ed56?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/528ac3b73275e0b7aaacef0c293ace2a4935f7e6f58f8b31465b2faf9ae5ed56?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Sergi\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A study identifies a growth disorder caused by a faulty connection between the brain and the liver | IBSAL","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A study identifies a growth disorder caused by a faulty connection between the brain and the liver","og_description":"&#8220;Communications Biology&#8221; has published a study led by CSIC researcher \u00c1ngeles Almeida, a scientist at USAL, IBFG, and IBSAL, which highlights the key role of the neural connection between the [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/","og_site_name":"IBSAL","article_published_time":"2026-06-26T09:40:59+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-04T11:00:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":576,"url":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-73-3383B680-1024x576.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Sergi","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sergi","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/"},"author":{"name":"Sergi","@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/34ba5672452d5f86b117e6cb49a6bb97"},"headline":"A study identifies a growth disorder caused by a faulty connection between the brain and the liver","datePublished":"2026-06-26T09:40:59+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-04T11:00:57+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/"},"wordCount":1260,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-73-3383B680.png","keywords":["Neurosciences"],"articleSection":["News","News highlights"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/","url":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/","name":"A study identifies a growth disorder caused by a faulty connection between the brain and the liver | IBSAL","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-73-3383B680.png","datePublished":"2026-06-26T09:40:59+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-04T11:00:57+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/34ba5672452d5f86b117e6cb49a6bb97"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-73-3383B680.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/298028-6A3BA200-73-3383B680.png","width":1920,"height":1080},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/a-study-identifies-a-growth-disorder-caused-by-a-faulty-connection-between-the-brain-and-the-liver\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Portada","item":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/institute-of-biomedical-research-of-salamanca\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A study identifies a growth disorder caused by a faulty connection between the brain and the liver"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/","name":"IBSAL","description":"Benchmarks in translational research in biomedicine in Castilla y Le\u00f3n","alternateName":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Biom\u00e9dica de Salamanca","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/34ba5672452d5f86b117e6cb49a6bb97","name":"Sergi","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/528ac3b73275e0b7aaacef0c293ace2a4935f7e6f58f8b31465b2faf9ae5ed56?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/528ac3b73275e0b7aaacef0c293ace2a4935f7e6f58f8b31465b2faf9ae5ed56?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/528ac3b73275e0b7aaacef0c293ace2a4935f7e6f58f8b31465b2faf9ae5ed56?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sergi"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24653"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24658,"href":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24653\/revisions\/24658"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ibsal.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}