Metabolism

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.

What is Anabolism?

Anabolism is the process by which the body utilizes the energy released by catabolism to synthesize complex molecules. These complex molecules are then utilized to form cellular structures that are formed from small and simple precursors that act as building blocks.

Science of Metabolism

Metabolism Catabolism

Gibbs Free Energy and Metabolism

Science of Metabolism

What are Coenzymes?

Metabolism Thermodynamics

Metabolism History

Metabolism Control

An Overview of Nucleotide Metabolism

What are Cytochrome P450 (CYP) Enzymes?

Xenobiotics and Redox Metabolism

See more featured articles »

Metabolism Investigation and Manipulation

Metabolism Evolution

Metabolism Energy Transformations

Metabolism Key Biochemicals

What is Metabolism?

Latest Metabolism News and Research

Peacemaker immune cells offer new hope for restoring immune tolerance

'Peacemaker' immune cells could help treat diseases ranging from type 1 diabetes to neurodegeneration by restoring immune tolerance, according to a new paper in Frontiers in Science.

25 Jun 2026

Targeting metabolic pathways could prevent relapse in KRAS-mutant cancers

Our cells rely on tightly regulated signaling pathways to control when they grow, divide, and survive. When these regulatory systems are disrupted, cells can acquire the ability to grow uncontrollably and become cancerous.

25 Jun 2026

High-dose DHA reaches the brain but fails to protect memory

High-dose DHA effectively increased brain levels in older adults at Alzheimer's risk, but did not lead to cognitive or structural brain health improvements.

25 Jun 2026

New oral drug shows promise for chronic heart failure treatment

An early clinical study shows that a new oral drug is safe and well-tolerated in patients with chronic heart failure.

24 Jun 2026

Concerns about weight regain after yo‑yo dieting are largely unfounded, review shows

Many people experience fluctuations in body weight throughout their lives, and so‑called yo‑yo dieting has long been considered a health risk – in some cases even more harmful than remaining overweight.

24 Jun 2026

Duke researchers discover molecules that target vital cell signaling proteins

To function normally, nearly every cell in the human body relies on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to receive and send signals. That's why GPCRs are targeted by roughly one-third of all FDA‑approved drugs.

24 Jun 2026

Circadian rhythm influences calorie burning after eating

Han-Chow Koh, PhD, and Frank A.J.L. Scheer, PhD, of the Medical Chronobiology Program at the Division of Sleep and Circadian Medicine in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine, are the co-lead and senior author, respectively, of a paper published in Metabolism, "Constant-routine protocol reveals an endogenous circadian rhythm in diet-induced thermogenesis with a peak in the biological morning."

23 Jun 2026

Study uncovers sex-specific immune pathway driving glioblastoma growth

Researchers have identified a critical biological difference in how glioblastoma develops in male and female laboratory models, pinpointing an immune pathway that fuels tumor growth only in females.

23 Jun 2026

Researchers identify molecular pathway that delays diabetic wound healing

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the most serious complications of diabetes and a major cause of lower-limb amputation.

23 Jun 2026

USC study links modified Mediterranean diet to longer lifespan

A plant- and fish-based, low-protein diet paired with small amounts of an amino acid commonly found in eggs, meat and dairy increased healthy lifespan and decreased frailty and fat mass in mice, according to a new USC study published today in the journal Cell Metabolism.

23 Jun 2026

Researchers identify control switch protein that starves tuberculosis bacteria

A protein that acts as a 'control switch,' preventing Mycobacterium tuberculosis from accessing the energy sources it needs to survive, has been identified by researchers at the University of Surrey.

23 Jun 2026

Elite athletes with higher vitamin D show healthier lipid profiles

Higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were independently associated with lower LDL-C, triglycerides, and lipoprotein(a) in 773 male professional athletes. The cross-sectional study cannot establish causality, but it suggests that vitamin D status may be linked to cardiovascular risk-related lipid markers, even in elite athletic populations.

23 Jun 2026

Accelerated biological aging may drive rising early-onset cancer risk

Cancer is often considered a disease of aging. Older adults are at higher risk because they have had more time to accumulate cellular damage that can trigger tumor formation.

22 Jun 2026

Psychological traits may uncover why Alzheimer’s biology differs between patients

In 822 deceased older adults from ROS and MAP, researchers linked stable psychological traits to multi-omic molecular subtypes of Alzheimer’s dementia using postmortem brain tissue from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Neuroticism and loneliness were associated with molecular progression, while purpose in life showed subtype-specific inverse associations, suggesting psychological traits may align with Alzheimer’s biology beyond conventional neuropathology.

22 Jun 2026

Statins may trigger muscle side effects by activating inflammatory danger signals

An experimental study in Science Advances shows that statins, primarily fluvastatin in these experiments, may promote low-level muscle myopathy by reducing isoprenoid-dependent protein prenylation rather than by cholesterol lowering. In primed muscle cells and mouse models, impaired YAP signaling, reduced glycolysis, NLRP3/caspase-1 activation, and nuclear FOXO accumulation increased atrogin-1, reduced protein synthesis, and weakened muscle function.

22 Jun 2026

Optimized proximity labeling platform tracks cellular protein communication networks

The body's organs are in constant communication. Fat tissue tells the liver when to store or release energy, the immune system signals localized inflammation, and thousands of proteins carry these messages to organs throughout the body.

22 Jun 2026

Researchers advocate local data strategies for early cancer detection

Researchers are calling for the application of locally driven strategies, supported by stronger regional evidence, to improve early cancer detection and precise care.

22 Jun 2026

New human protein atlas maps how cancer rewires the body’s tissues

Researchers created a DIA-MS atlas of 13,609 proteins across 2,856 samples from fetal, healthy adult, paired non-tumor, and tumor tissues. The resource maps tissue-specific protein patterns, cancer-associated changes, organ-specific drug-toxicity signals, and candidate therapeutic targets.

21 Jun 2026

Synthetic gut communities reveal how diet rewires the microbiome

Synthetic microbial communities give researchers controlled models for testing how diet reshapes gut microbial ecology, metabolism, and host-relevant responses. The review highlights how SynComs can strengthen causal inference, improve intervention testing, and support future precision nutrition, while noting major challenges in stability, standardization, and ecological realism.

21 Jun 2026

Computer models could design more effective probiotic supplements

Probiotic supplements found in drugstores nationwide contain an assortment of microbes sold for specific health purposes despite limited understanding of the microbes' connections to their marketed use, new University of Virginia School of Medicine research reveals.

18 Jun 2026