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.

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

New Tool Predicts Which Intrinsically Disordered Regions Drive Condensate Formation

Fusion oncoproteins arise when a gene fuses with another gene and acquires new abilities. Such abilities can include the formation of biomolecular condensates, "droplets" of concentrated proteins, DNA or RNA.

4 Dec 2025

New Regulatory Pathway Enhances Key Aroma Compound in Wine Grapes

β-Damascenone is a key norisoprenoid compound responsible for characteristic floral and fruity aromas in grapes and wines, particularly those from non-aromatic varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

27 Nov 2025

Mitochondrial Mutation Found to Rewire Immune Function

Scientists have discovered how a mitochondrial mutation rewires immune function in a model of inherited primary mitochondrial disorders, which often lead to severe disability and death.

27 Nov 2025

Scientists Uncover Inner Workings of Biomolecular Condensates Linked to ALS

Inside the cell reside many tiny assembly factories and warehouses that gather together all of the proteins and RNAs-which carry out instructions from our DNA-that a living being needs.

27 Nov 2025

Discovery Reveals Unexpected Role for OTULIN in Controlling Tau Expression

Scientists have uncovered a surprising mechanism by which a brain enzyme called OTULIN controls the expression of tau, the protein that forms toxic tangles in Alzheimer's disease.

26 Nov 2025

Old Blood Stem Cells Regain Regenerative Capacity Through Lysosomal Intervention

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have discovered how to reverse aging in blood-forming stem cells in mice by correcting defects in the stem cell's lysosomes.

25 Nov 2025

Senescent Blood Vessel Cells Drive the Development of Metabolic Disorders

Investigators from the Center for Advanced Gerotherapeutics at Cedars-Sinai found that aged blood vessel cells play a key role in the development of metabolic disorders, including diabetes.

24 Nov 2025

New Tool Maps Microbial Activity to Transform Gut Health Research

The gut microbiome is made up of trillions of microbes that play a vital role in keeping us healthy.  A disturbance in the balance of these microbes can contribute to a variety of health conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

22 Nov 2025

Bacteriophages Facilitate the Survival of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Kimchi Fermentation

The World Institute of Kimchi (President: Hae Choon Chang), a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, has confirmed in a new study that bacteriophages, which were previously considered a 'nuisance' during the process of food fermentation, actually play the role of key helpers that facilitate the survival of lactic acid bacteria (LAB).

21 Nov 2025

Cyanobacteria Change Their Genetic Activity After Sunset

Cyanobacteria, also referred to as blue-green algae, are found globally in diverse forms, encompassing both single-celled organisms and filamentous chains.

21 Nov 2025