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.

Cell Study Challenges Long-Standing View That Individual Human Genomes Evolve Independently

Scientists at Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) have discovered that large pieces of DNA can transfer directly between human cells, and the DNA can persist and change how the recipient cell functions.

20 May 2026

New 3D Human Liver Model Mimics Chronic Disease For 30 Days

Researchers developed a 3D liver model that functions for a month, replicating inflammation and fibrosis, crucial for studying liver diseases and therapies.

19 May 2026

Dual-Action Protein Found to Fuel and Repair Cancer

According to a recent study, a protein best known for fueling cancer development also aids in the survival of damaged tumor cells by repairing their DNA, which might impact how certain cancers are treated.

18 May 2026

Epigenetic Engineering Boosts Stable Production of Safe Monascus Pigments

This study was led by Professor Yi Wang and Professor Weiming Zhu from the School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China.

15 May 2026

Web-Based Platform Facilitates Chemical Structure Queries in Metabolomics

An international team led by researchers at University of California San Diego and University of California, Riverside has developed a free, web‑based platform designed to make public metabolomics data more accessible.

15 May 2026

New Analysis Uncovers Evolutionary Adaptations Within Human Gut Bacteria

The human gut harbors a complex ecosystem of trillions of microorganisms (the microbiome), which influences digestion, the immune system and metabolism.

8 May 2026

Cell Swelling Found to Trigger Inflammatory Immune Responses

As part of the body's first line of defense against foreign invaders, macrophages play an integral role in the innate immune system.

8 May 2026

How Genetic Bonuses Help Gut Bacteria Adapt to Industrialization

Billions of microorganisms-primarily bacteria, viruses, and fungi-colonize our gut. This complex community is known as the microbiome.

7 May 2026

UNC Professor Receives Grant to Investigate Origins of the Genetic Code

Over the course of natural history, animals and plants have evolved to adapt to an ever-changing environment and increase the chances of survival. So, too, has our own DNA.

7 May 2026

New Single-Cell Technique Reveals Why Bacteria Survive Antibiotics

SinBactM's innovative approach to single-bacterium metabolomics reveals distinct metabolic states, enhancing understanding of antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

6 May 2026

Metabolic Pathway Loss Makes Cancer Cells Vulnerable to PARP Drugs

Loss of an enzyme necessary for a process called lipoylation disrupts the way cancer cells copy their DNA, increasing their vulnerability to a class of anticancer drugs known as PARP inhibitors, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers shows.

5 May 2026

How the Microbiome Shapes Cancer Immunity and Therapy Response

This review examines how the human microbiome regulates anti-tumor immunity through DNA damage, inflammation, immune-cell activity, microbial metabolites, and tumor microenvironment remodeling. It highlights emerging microbiome-based strategies, including FMT, probiotics, prebiotics, engineered bacteria, and live biotherapeutics, while stressing the need for rigorous validation and clinical trials.

29 Apr 2026

Lund Researchers Map Epigenome Secrets of Insulin and Glucagon Cells

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have carried out the most detailed mapping to date of the epigenome in the cells that regulate the body's blood sugar levels.

27 Apr 2026

Uncovering a Second Pathway for On-Demand Glycogen Regulation

Researchers at WEHI have uncovered a never-before-seen mechanism that human bodies utilize to control sugar. These discoveries redefine basic biological principles and pave the way for new scientific discoveries.

24 Apr 2026

Study Reveals the "Black Box" of Protein Quality Control in the ER

Over the past few years, Kivanç Birsoy of Rockefeller University and his colleagues in the Laboratory of Metabolic Regulation and Genetics have uncovered amazing information about the antioxidant glutathione, which has numerous vital functions in the body, including eliminating free radicals and repairing cellular damage.

20 Apr 2026

Neuronal Lipid Metabolism Plays a Key Role in Preventing Metabolic Disorders

The brain is the body's command centre, and neurons are the workhorses that carry out its commands. They transmit signals that regulate many bodily functions, including key metabolic processes such as appetite, body weight and energy expenditure.

17 Apr 2026

Researchers Uncover How the Immune System Teaches the Brain to Avoid Toxins

Researchers from the University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn uncover vital mechanism for survival.

17 Apr 2026

"Zombie" Macrophages Accumulate in Aging Tissues and Diseased Livers

UCLA researchers have identified a rogue population of immune cells that quietly accumulates in aging tissues and in the livers of people with fatty liver disease. Clearing these cells, they found, dramatically reduced inflammation and reversed liver damage in mice - even while the animals remained on an unhealthy diet.

16 Apr 2026

Largest Genetic Study Reveals New Biological Clues for Severe Pregnancy Sickness

The USC research team that recently identified the hormone-encoding gene GDF15 as a key driver of pregnancy sickness has identified 9 additional genes linked to its most severe form, hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).

15 Apr 2026

New Experimental System Mimics Low-Grade Pediatric Glioma in 3D

A three-dimensional experimental system has been developed to study the response to drugs in low-grade glioma, a tumor of the central nervous system that often occurs in children.

10 Apr 2026