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.

What is Metabolism?

Science of Metabolism

Metabolism Key Biochemicals

Metabolism Catabolism

Metabolism Energy Transformations

Xenobiotics and Redox Metabolism

Gibbs Free Energy and Metabolism

Metabolism Evolution

Metabolism Investigation and Manipulation

Metabolism History

Metabolism Control

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Metabolism Thermodynamics

What are Cytochrome P450 (CYP) Enzymes?

Science of Metabolism

Latest Metabolism News and Research

New guidance for healthcare providers caring for hospitalized COVID-19 patients with diabetes

The COVID-19 pandemic presents new challenges for clinicians caring for infected patients with diabetes, according to new guidance published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

5 Jun 2020

Perchlorate in drinking water may be more dangerous than previously thought

Sometimes toxins, such as hazardous wastes and industrial byproducts, seep into groundwater, the source of our drinking water.

5 Jun 2020

Study offers a deeper understanding of T cell immunity in the elderly

A study by Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) expands the understanding of the molecular pathways that control T cell function and survival and how it relates to declining T cell immunity in the elderly.

5 Jun 2020

Physical activity can help maintain muscle mass in midlife

A large study of middle-aged women shows that age-related changes in skeletal muscle are part of everyday life for women in their fifties.

5 Jun 2020

New insights into how parenteral oil emulsions prevent liver disease in preterm babies

Infants born prematurely may require parenteral or intravenous nutrition to provide the necessary nourishment, as their digestive system is immature and cannot digest nutrients.

4 Jun 2020

Study reveals biochemical alterations in patients with Lesch-Nyhan disease

An international study by the Institute of Neuroscience of the UAB, Emory University and Hospital Universitario La Paz, published in the PNAS journal, shows that patients suffering from Lesch-Nyhan, a rare neurological disease, present biochemical alterations in skin cells (fibroblasts), urine and cerebrospinal fluid.

4 Jun 2020

Computational models predict known biomarkers of inherited metabolic diseases

We are all unique. Our health is determined by our inherent genetic differences combined with our lifestyles and the environments in which we live.

4 Jun 2020

Protein markers could help predict how ill a COVID-19 patient will become

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have identified 27 protein biomarkers that could be used to predict whether a patient with COVID-19 is likely to become severely ill with the disease.

4 Jun 2020

27 protein biomarkers predict COVID-19 severity in patients

Some patients infected with the novel coronavirus may experience only mild symptoms, while others may need medical care due to severe illness. People who are at a high risk of developing severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) include older adults and those with underlying health conditions. However, severe disease has also been seen in young people with no underlying disease.

4 Jun 2020

Diet and gut microbiome affect outcomes of chemotherapy

What we eat can affect the outcome of chemotherapy – and likely many other medical treatments – because of ripple effects that begin in our gut, new research from the University of Virginia suggests.

4 Jun 2020

Study says vitamin-magnesium combo may reduce severity of COVID-19 in seniors

The COVID-19 pandemic that began in late December 2019 has spread to over 188 countries and territories, causing over 6.5 million cases and 385,000 deaths. With no effective therapeutic COVID-19 drug or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine in sight, researchers are exploring different strategies to limit its spread and mortality.

4 Jun 2020

Drug Teixobactin shows promise against drug-resistant superbugs

Two well-known superbugs are the gram-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). A new drug Teixobactin has shown promise against these microbes. The study titled, “The Killing Mechanism of Teixobactin against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: an Untargeted Metabolomics Study,” was published in the latest issue of the journal Therapeutics and Prevention.

4 Jun 2020

New test identifies CAD-affected children who may benefit from uridine

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa in Spain have created a test that determines which children with CAD deficiency-; a rare metabolic disease-; are likely to benefit from receiving uridine, a nutritional supplement that has dramatically improved the lives of other children with the condition.

3 Jun 2020

Rigidity of tissues drives immune system activity, UCLA study finds

A UCLA research team has identified a new paradigm for understanding the regulation of the immune system, potentially paving the way for new approaches to treating infections and immune-related diseases such as type 1 diabetes and certain cancers.

2 Jun 2020

Study maps genes essential for metabolic function of two common bacteria

A study in Cell Reports maps genes essential for the metabolic function of M. agalactiae and M. pneumoniae, two common bacteria that infect livestock and humans respectively.

2 Jun 2020

Study reveals how a fat cell's immune response worsens obesity

When obesity occurs, a person's own fat cells can set off a complex inflammatory chain reaction that can further disrupt metabolism and weaken immune response--potentially placing people at higher risk of poor outcomes from a variety of diseases and infections, including COVID-19.

2 Jun 2020

Study examines how cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition relate to brain health

A new study led by researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology examined how cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition relate to neuronal health in 290 healthy young adults.

2 Jun 2020

Journal publication supports Synlogic’s first clinical immuno-oncology program, SYNB1891

Synlogic, Inc., a clinical-stage company applying synthetic biology to beneficial microbes to develop novel, living medicines, today announced the publication in Nature Communications of preclinical data supporting its first clinical immuno-oncology program, SYNB1891, which is being evaluated in Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with advanced solid tumors or lymphoma.

2 Jun 2020

Specific immune suppression leads to severe COVID-19 disease

A new study published online on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 reports that specific changes in the way the human immune system responds to COVID-19 determine whether the individual develops moderate or severe illness.

2 Jun 2020

Cognitive aptitudes of young women may be more affected with high alcohol use than men

Female college students appear to be more affected by high alcohol use than men, which may lead to less interest in academics, according to new research including by faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

1 Jun 2020