Lipid metabolism
Lipid metabolism is the network of biochemical processes that synthesize, modify, transport, store, and degrade lipids.
Lipid metabolism is the network of biochemical processes that synthesize, modify, transport, store, and degrade lipids. It includes the handling of fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids, cholesterol, and related lipid-derived metabolites. These processes occur across several cellular compartments and organs, particularly the liver, adipose tissue, intestine, skeletal muscle, and macrophages. Lipid metabolism is integrated with glucose homeostasis, amino acid metabolism, and energy metabolism, enabling cells to use lipids as energy substrates, construct biological membranes, and generate signaling molecules.
The balance between lipid biosynthetic processes and lipid breakdown is important for metabolic health. Disruption of this balance can contribute to obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis. Lipid accumulation may also interact with oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species, inflammation, and apoptosis. In cancer, altered lipid metabolism can support tumor growth and may influence ferroptosis, tumor immunity, and therapeutic response. Consequently, enzymes and regulators involved in triglyceride synthesis, fatty-acid production, lipoprotein uptake, and lipid storage—including MOGAT2, FASN, LDLR, and CD36—are being investigated as pharmacological or prognostic targets.
Where the papers sit
13 papers from the last 6 months study lipid metabolism directly · updated from PubMed 12 Oct 2026
Study type 0 clinical trials · 9 preclinical · 4 unclassified
Themes one subject · 1 new direction
Those 13 are all about one subject.
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Metabolic Disease Mechanisms
Metabolic dysregulation is linked to liver disease, obesity, cancer, reproductive disorders and tissue injury through oxidative stress, apoptosis and ferroptosis. MASLD studies emphasize multi-omics, systemic disease links and targets such as MGAT2, while exercise, estradiol and dietary or herbal interventions seek to restore fat handling. Cancer studies repeatedly implicate FASN, ALOX5, PPARα, MAPK and YAP1-Hippo signaling in growth or drug resistance. The shared direction is mechanistic target discovery rather than a settled therapeutic strategy, with exosomes and pathway-specific agents still requiring validation.
MASLD lipid metabolism is a disease-stratifying determinant of systemic risk, not merely a common hepatic abnormality
The multi-omics study of genetically defined MASLD subtypes found that hepatic lipid retention, hepatic lipid synthesis, and systemic lipid metabolism are distinct routes associated with different risks across 22 extrahepatic diseases 42580475Aug. Whereas the other studies treat lipid metabolism mainly as a shared pathological process, therapeutic target, or biomarker axis, this work makes it a classifier and potential mediator of divergent multiorgan disease trajectories.
Papers
The 13 papers from the last 6 months that study lipid metabolism directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
Metabolic Disease Mechanisms (13)
- PEBP1 Regulates Ferroptosis in Acute Glaucoma: Targeted Therapy Using Engineered Exosomes. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 3 Sept 2026 PMID 42687852
- Estradiol mitigates lipid accumulation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and MAPKs activation in NASH rat model with bilateral orchidectomy. PNAS nexus · 2 Sept 2026 PMID 42683309
- The monoacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 inhibitor VB-85387 reduces MASLD. Journal of lipid research · 1 Sept 2026 PMID 42680000
- Multi-omics dissection of MASLD reveals divergent pathways to systemic diseases and targets for prevention. Metabolism: clinical and experimental · 11 Aug 2026 PMID 42580475
- Prognostic risk modeling based on integrated multi-omics analysis identifies CRY2 as a key regulator in tumor immunity and patient survival in colorectal cancer. Annals of medicine · 4 Aug 2026 PMID 42550740
- Integrated multi-level transcriptomic and bioinformatics analysis identifies lipid metabolism-ubiquitination signatures and reveals ATG5, ASB4, LDLR, and CD36 as Candidate biomarkers in insulin resistance. Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.) · 26 Jul 2026 PMID 42503036
- Metabolic Mechanisms of Modified Lingguizhugan Decoction in Obesity and Lipid Metabolism Disorders: A Multi-Omics Approach. Obesity science & practice · 14 Jul 2026 PMID 42445565
- Strength training induces ABHD5-ATGL axis to counteract mesenteric fat accumulation in obese Swiss mice. Life sciences · 23 Jun 2026 PMID 42335984
- Upregulation of CDO1 by theaflavin-3,3'-gallate induces apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation in TNBC. International immunopharmacology · 19 Jun 2026 PMID 42320249
- Vitamin D regulates lipid metabolism in granulosa cells via the FABP3-associated PI3K/Akt pathway in polycystic ovary syndrome. International immunopharmacology · 16 Jun 2026 PMID 42302377
- ALOX5 mediates sunitinib resistance in renal cell carcinoma by reprogramming lipid metabolism through the p38/ERK/PPARα axis. International immunopharmacology · 13 Jun 2026 PMID 42287957
- Grape-derived exosome-like nanoparticles suppress nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression by targeting the FASN/MAPK axis. Cellular signalling · 26 May 2026 PMID 42191056
- Combination of alantolactone and temozolomide targets stemness and lipid metabolism in glioblastoma through YAP1-Hippo signaling. Brain research · 14 May 2026 PMID 42134431
By study type
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (9)
- PEBP1 Regulates Ferroptosis in Acute Glaucoma: Targeted Therapy Using Engineered Exosomes. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 3 Sept 2026 PMID 42687852
- Prognostic risk modeling based on integrated multi-omics analysis identifies CRY2 as a key regulator in tumor immunity and patient survival in colorectal cancer. Annals of medicine · 4 Aug 2026 PMID 42550740
- Integrated multi-level transcriptomic and bioinformatics analysis identifies lipid metabolism-ubiquitination signatures and reveals ATG5, ASB4, LDLR, and CD36 as Candidate biomarkers in insulin resistance. Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.) · 26 Jul 2026 PMID 42503036
- Strength training induces ABHD5-ATGL axis to counteract mesenteric fat accumulation in obese Swiss mice. Life sciences · 23 Jun 2026 PMID 42335984
- Upregulation of CDO1 by theaflavin-3,3'-gallate induces apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation in TNBC. International immunopharmacology · 19 Jun 2026 PMID 42320249
- Vitamin D regulates lipid metabolism in granulosa cells via the FABP3-associated PI3K/Akt pathway in polycystic ovary syndrome. International immunopharmacology · 16 Jun 2026 PMID 42302377
- ALOX5 mediates sunitinib resistance in renal cell carcinoma by reprogramming lipid metabolism through the p38/ERK/PPARα axis. International immunopharmacology · 13 Jun 2026 PMID 42287957
- Grape-derived exosome-like nanoparticles suppress nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression by targeting the FASN/MAPK axis. Cellular signalling · 26 May 2026 PMID 42191056
- Combination of alantolactone and temozolomide targets stemness and lipid metabolism in glioblastoma through YAP1-Hippo signaling. Brain research · 14 May 2026 PMID 42134431
Unclassified: not yet indexed with MeSH (4)
- Estradiol mitigates lipid accumulation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and MAPKs activation in NASH rat model with bilateral orchidectomy. PNAS nexus · 2 Sept 2026 PMID 42683309
- The monoacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 inhibitor VB-85387 reduces MASLD. Journal of lipid research · 1 Sept 2026 PMID 42680000
- Multi-omics dissection of MASLD reveals divergent pathways to systemic diseases and targets for prevention. Metabolism: clinical and experimental · 11 Aug 2026 PMID 42580475
- Metabolic Mechanisms of Modified Lingguizhugan Decoction in Obesity and Lipid Metabolism Disorders: A Multi-Omics Approach. Obesity science & practice · 14 Jul 2026 PMID 42445565
Written from 13 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-09-03. Last written: 2026-09-04 by GPT. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.