Lactate metabolism in human health and disease

• Published in: Signal transduction and targeted therapy Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 305 - 22
• Main Authors: Li, Xiaolu, Yang, Yanyan, Zhang, Bei, Lin, Xiaotong, Fu, Xiuxiu, An, Yi, Zou, Yulin, Wang, Jian-Xun, Wang, Zhibin, Yu, Tao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.09.2022; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/337/176; 692/4028/67; Cancer Research; Cell Biology; Energy metabolism; Glycolysis; Homeostasis; Inflammation; Internal Medicine; Lactic acid; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolism; Oncology; Pathology; Physiology; Review; Review Article; Signal transduction; Tumors
• ISSN: 2059-3635; 2095-9907; 2059-3635
• DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01151-3

The current understanding of lactate extends from its origins as a byproduct of glycolysis to its role in tumor metabolism, as identified by studies on the Warburg effect. The lactate shuttle hypothesis suggests that lactate plays an important role as a bridging signaling molecule that coordinates signaling among different cells, organs and tissues. Lactylation is a posttranslational modification initially reported by Professor Yingming Zhao’s research group in 2019. Subsequent studies confirmed that lactylation is a vital component of lactate function and is involved in tumor proliferation, neural excitation, inflammation and other biological processes. An indispensable substance for various physiological cellular functions, lactate plays a regulatory role in different aspects of energy metabolism and signal transduction. Therefore, a comprehensive review and summary of lactate is presented to clarify the role of lactate in disease and to provide a reference and direction for future research. This review offers a systematic overview of lactate homeostasis and its roles in physiological and pathological processes, as well as a comprehensive overview of the effects of lactylation in various diseases, particularly inflammation and cancer.