Metabolism News and Research

Latest Metabolism News and Research

Surprising new function of immune cells uncovered: Excess weight loss prevention

Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have uncovered a surprising new function for immune cells: preventing excess weight loss.

10 Dec 2025

Sterilized fermented beverage targets obesity and type 2 diabetes pathways in computational study

Researchers profiled a terminally sterilized probiotic-fermented MFH beverage and identified aporphine alkaloids and flavonoids with favorable predicted ADMET properties. Integrated network pharmacology, molecular docking, and 100-ns MD simulations suggest multi-target engagement of metabolic-inflammatory pathways relevant to obesity and type 2 diabetes.

9 Dec 2025

Nanoflower-treated stem cells deliver healthier mitochondria to stressed cells

This study shows that vacancy-engineered MoS₂ nanoflowers drive mitochondrial biogenesis in human mesenchymal stem cells by activating SIRT1–PGC-1α signaling and reducing oxidative stress. These treated cells transfer more functional mitochondria to injured recipient cells, restoring energy metabolism and redox balance in multiple in vitro models.

9 Dec 2025

Gut microbe metabolite TMA improves blood sugar by shutting down a key inflammatory switch

Researchers identified trimethylamine (TMA) as a gut microbe–derived metabolite that directly inhibits IRAK4 to reduce metabolic inflammation and improve glycaemic control in high-fat-diet-fed mice. Choline-driven increases in TMA production replicated these benefits, revealing a host–microbe signaling axis with therapeutic potential for obesity-associated insulin resistance.

9 Dec 2025

Dietary restriction reprograms cancer-fighting immune cells to enhance anti-tumour immunity

Reducing calorie intake helps cancer-fighting immune cells do their jobs more effectively, reports a study by Van Andel Institute scientists and collaborators.

9 Dec 2025

Supportive marriages may shape appetite control through oxytocin and the brain–gut axis

Supportive marital relationships are associated with lower BMI, fewer food addiction symptoms, higher oxytocin, stronger frontal brain responses to food cues, and favorable gut tryptophan metabolites. These coordinated social, neural, hormonal, and gut pathways suggest a plausible biological link between emotional support and healthier eating regulation.

8 Dec 2025

Industrial and farm chemicals quietly alter the balance of gut microbes

This study systematically screened over 1,000 agricultural and industrial chemicals and found that many can inhibit human gut bacteria in vitro. Beyond antimicrobial effects, these chemicals act as selective pressures that can reshape microbial competition, tolerance mechanisms, and metabolic pathways.

8 Dec 2025

Researchers discover a surprising ally in the fight against insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

An international research team led by Professor Marc-Emmanuel Dumas at Imperial College London & CNRS together with Prof. Patrice Cani (Imperial & University of Louvain, UCLouvain), Dr. Dominique Gauguier (Imperial & INSERM, Paris) and Prof. Peter Liu (University of Ottawa Heart Institute) has uncovered a surprising ally in the fight against insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes: a microbial metabolite called trimethylamine (TMA).

8 Dec 2025

Blood sugar migration to saliva fuels cavity development in type 2 diabetes patients

Individuals with type 2 diabetes often have a higher incidence of tooth decay, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

8 Dec 2025

Noninvasive Raman device tracks blood glucose accurately in under a minute

MIT researchers developed a compact band-pass Raman spectroscopy device that noninvasively tracks glucose through the skin in under a minute using physically interpretable optical signals. In a pilot study and tissue phantom validation, the system showed glucose measurements comparable to commercial continuous glucose monitors, supporting further clinical evaluation.

7 Dec 2025

Early exposure to fat-related food smells increases lifelong obesity risk

Early exposure to fat-related food odors during development alters central sensory processing and metabolic regulation, independently of maternal obesity or nutrient intake. These sensory cues program long-term susceptibility to obesity, impaired thermogenesis, and altered brain responses to dietary fat in adulthood.

7 Dec 2025

New atomic structure reveals how NBCn1 transporter protein aids breast cancer cell survival

UCLA scientists have characterized the structure and function of a key survival protein in breast cancer cells that helps explain how these tumors resist environmental stress and thrive in acidic, low-oxygen environments that would normally be toxic to healthy cells.

5 Dec 2025

Higher PFAS levels reduce blood sugar improvements after teen bariatric surgery

A new USC study shows teens with higher blood levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) measured before bariatric surgery had smaller improvements in blood sugar over five years, including fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), which measures average blood sugar levels over the past 60-90 days.

4 Dec 2025

Study provides first molecular evidence that ferroptosis can drive neurodegeneration

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, the Technical University of Munich and the LMU University Hospital Munich uncovered a mechanism that protects nerve cells from premature cell death, known as ferroptosis.

4 Dec 2025

Urine cfDNA patterns emerge as a promising tool for diagnosing bladder cancer

Researchers have discovered that analyzing specific patterns of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentation in a simple urine sample can effectively diagnose and stage bladder cancer, offering a much-needed alternative to invasive procedures like cystoscopies.

4 Dec 2025

Metabolism News and Research

Latest Metabolism News and Research

Surprising new function of immune cells uncovered: Excess weight loss prevention

Sterilized fermented beverage targets obesity and type 2 diabetes pathways in computational study

Nanoflower-treated stem cells deliver healthier mitochondria to stressed cells

Gut microbe metabolite TMA improves blood sugar by shutting down a key inflammatory switch

Dietary restriction reprograms cancer-fighting immune cells to enhance anti-tumour immunity

Supportive marriages may shape appetite control through oxytocin and the brain–gut axis

Industrial and farm chemicals quietly alter the balance of gut microbes

Researchers discover a surprising ally in the fight against insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

Blood sugar migration to saliva fuels cavity development in type 2 diabetes patients

Noninvasive Raman device tracks blood glucose accurately in under a minute

Early exposure to fat-related food smells increases lifelong obesity risk

New atomic structure reveals how NBCn1 transporter protein aids breast cancer cell survival

Higher PFAS levels reduce blood sugar improvements after teen bariatric surgery

Study provides first molecular evidence that ferroptosis can drive neurodegeneration

Urine cfDNA patterns emerge as a promising tool for diagnosing bladder cancer

Emotional support in marriage associated with lower BMI and fewer food cravings

New C-COMPASS software opens spatial proteomics and lipidomics to non-coders

Why soybean oil may fuel weight gain

Sweat testing could transform drug monitoring and diabetes care

Sugar alcohol sorbitol may increase the risk of developing steatotic liver disease

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

PhD researcher at LifeArc

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research