Metabolism News and Research

Latest Metabolism News and Research

Single DNA injection provides long-lasting weight loss in mouse study

Scientists at The Wistar Institute have shown that a single injection of a small, circular piece of genetic instructions can produce weight loss and blood glucose control in murine models that lasts up to 10 times as long as incretin-mimicking drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.

26 Jun 2026

New protocol identifies sperm biomarkers to diagnose male infertility

Researchers from the EHU-University of the Basque Country have developed a robust protocol to detect the molecules involved in the metabolic reactions of sperm.

26 Jun 2026

Longer hormone exposure linked to healthier brain aging in women

Research indicates that hormonal therapies and later menopause are associated with increased brain volume and thickness, promoting healthier aging.

26 Jun 2026

Gut microbes emerge as potential players in estrogen-driven cancers

A new review maps how the endocrine-microbiome axis expands the estrobolome concept, showing that gut microbes may alter estrogen recycling, produce hormone-like metabolites, and shape inflammation and tissue environments in hormone-driven cancers. Human evidence remains mostly associative, so the authors call for causal models, longitudinal multi-omics, multi-kingdom profiling, and sex-stratified studies before microbiome-guided cancer strategies enter routine care.

25 Jun 2026

Protein-sharing helps dormant bacteria withstand antibiotic treatment

When bacteria are under antibiotic attack, it is not 'every man for himself.' Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and colleagues from collaborating institutions have discovered that bacterial populations work as a team to survive antibiotics.

25 Jun 2026

Blood metabolites reveal lifestyle links to brain health before dementia

Blood metabolome profiling in dementia-free middle-aged adults linked 14 metabolites to cognition and 22 metabolites to MRI markers of brain health. Lifestyle, clinical factors, medication use and gut microbiota appeared to shape many of these metabolites, with ergothioneine emerging as a notable cognition-linked signal.

25 Jun 2026

Natural compound puerarin may protect against cholestatic liver fibrosis

A recent study published in Current Molecular Pharmacology demonstrates that puerarin-a bioactive isoflavone derived from Kudzu root and widely used in traditional Chinese medicine-may offer significant therapeutic benefits against cholestatic liver fibrosis, a progressive pathological condition arising from impaired bile formation and flow that currently lacks effective pharmacotherapies.

25 Jun 2026

Lactate and lactylation play multifaceted roles in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

A comprehensive review recently published in Current Molecular Pharmacology illuminates the pivotal, multifaceted roles of lactate and its downstream protein modification, lactylation, in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

25 Jun 2026

Exercise, not liraglutide alone, drives vascular gains after obesity-related weight loss

A prespecified secondary analysis of the S-LiTE trial found that regular exercise reduced carotid artery wall thickness and circulating levels of inflammatory cytokines in adults with obesity who had already achieved substantial diet-induced weight loss. Liraglutide alone did not significantly improve these vascular or inflammatory markers, while exercise plus liraglutide also improved endothelial function biomarkers.

25 Jun 2026

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