Metabolism News and Research

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Metabolism is the means by which the body derives energy and synthesizes the other molecules it needs from the fats, carbohydrates and proteins we eat as food, by enzymatic reactions helped by minerals and vitamins.

Cytomegalovirus can Hijack a Central 'Traffic Controller' for Immune Cells

In a major scientific breakthrough, researchers from Monash University and the Lions Eye Institute have discovered a tissue protein that acts as a central 'traffic controller' for immune cells and can be hijacked by a virus to weaken immune responses.

22 Jan 2026

Coordinated Gene Regulation Drives Saponin Production

Triterpenoid saponins are widely valued for their diverse pharmacological activities and also play important defensive roles in plants.

22 Jan 2026

Hidden Sperm RNA Remodeling With Age May Impact Next Generation

Increasing paternal age has been linked to elevated health risks for the next generation, including higher risks of obesity and stillbirth. But what drives this increased risk remains unknown.

21 Jan 2026

Yeast-Based Platform Achieves Animal-Free High Quality Chondroitin Sulfate

By systematically redesigning multiple metabolic modules inside Komagataella phaffii, the researchers achieved both high product yield and high sulfation quality, two goals that have long been difficult to reach at the same time.

21 Jan 2026

Study Overturns Understanding About How T Cells Recognize Lipid Antigens

A new discovery about how cells communicate with each other in the body's immune system has revealed deeper insights for an international team of scientists into fundamental immune system function.

16 Jan 2026

Unveiling How a Respiratory Bacterium Obtains Lipids and Targets Fatty Tissues

A multidisciplinary team has uncovered a key mechanism that allows the human bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae-responsible for atypical pneumonia and other respiratory infections-to obtain cholesterol and other essential lipids directly from the human body.

16 Jan 2026

A Week of 40-Hz Sound Triggers Long-Lasting Amyloid Changes in Monkeys

Forty-hertz auditory stimulation in aged monkeys doubles CSF amyloid-β levels, offering insights into non-invasive strategies for Alzheimer's disease treatment.

15 Jan 2026

Turning Human Fat into Insulin-Producing Organoids That Reverse Diabetes

By preserving fat tissue architecture, researchers created organoids that restore insulin function, paving the way for advancements in diabetes treatment.

8 Jan 2026

Identifying Molecules That Activate and Inhibit Key Protein Function

Researchers at Northwestern University have discovered a concealed molecular "control switch" within a protein that plays a crucial role in the body's ability to perceive taste, regulate blood sugar, and protect the gut.

7 Jan 2026

Microneedle Patches May Unlock Safer, Localized Cancer Immunotherapy

This review highlights the potential of natural polysaccharide microneedles in cancer immunotherapy, focusing on localized treatment and immune activation.

7 Jan 2026

Hidden Molecular "Control Switch" Uncovered Inside TRPM5 Protein

Northwestern University scientists have uncovered a hidden molecular "control switch" inside a protein that helps the body sense taste, control blood sugar and defend the gut.

6 Jan 2026

Kinetic Traps Explain Differences in GPCR Drug Efficacy

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are proteins triggered by ligands (protein-binding chemicals) from outside cells to transmit signals inside the cell.

23 Dec 2025

Protein MCL1 Emerges as a Central Regulator of Cancer Metabolism

The researchers have succeeded in tracing two classic hallmarks of cancer – the evasion of apoptosis (a form of programmed cell death) and the dysregulation of energy metabolism – back to a common molecular mechanism.

23 Dec 2025

Foreign RsMYB28 Allele Boosts Glucosinolate Accumulation in Rapeseed

These bioactive compounds, found primarily in Brassicaceae plants, play crucial roles in plant defense, contribute to distinctive food flavors, and have potential health benefits, including cancer prevention.

23 Dec 2025

Machine Learning Models Identify Early Metabolic Shifts

Acute systemic inflammation has long been suspected to trigger harmful processes within the brain, contributing to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. A new study published online in the Journal of Proteome Research on November 30, 2025, led by Professor Kei Zaitsu from the Faculty of Biology-Oriented Science and Technology, Kindai University, Japan, now provides compelling evidence that such inflammation causes region-specific metabolic disruption, identifying biochemical pathways that fail during the early stages of neuroinflammation.

22 Dec 2025

Genes Can Spread Their Effects Through Shared Microbes

Your "roommate's" genes could be influencing the bacteria living in your gut, and vice versa, according to a study of rats published today in Nature Communications.

19 Dec 2025

A Molecular Tug-of-War Shapes Gene Regulation and Disease

A newly revealed molecular tug-of-war may have implications for better understanding how a multitude of diseases and disorders - including cancers, neurodegenerative diseases and immune disorders - originate, as well as how to potentially treat them, according to researchers at Penn State.

18 Dec 2025

Specific Gut Bacteria Found to Control Weight and Blood Fat Levels

The gut microbiome is intimately linked to human health and weight. Differences in the gut microbiome-the bacteria and fungi in the gut-are associated with obesity and weight gain, raising the possibility that changing the microbiome could improve health.

17 Dec 2025

Mitochondrial Supercomplex Protein COX7RP Extends Lifespan and Healthspan

As life expectancy continues to climb globally, the focus of many people has moved from longevity alone to living in good health.

11 Dec 2025

Senescent Fibroblasts in the Tumor Niche Rewire Lung Cancer Metabolism and Plasticity

Senescent fibroblasts are aging cells that no longer divide and protect against tumor development. Yet two decades have gone by since cell biologist Judith Campisi, PhD, paradoxically demonstrated that these same cells can promote cancer growth in a laboratory setting.

5 Dec 2025