Zhou et al. uncover the pro-tumorigenic role of gut fungus Rhizopus arrhizus in MASLD-HCC. R. arrhizus produces kynurenic acid, which directly binds to tumor cells and activates oncogenic MAPK signaling to promote MASLD-HCC. Zhou et al. also provide therapeutic insights by showing that blocking this host-fungus interaction inhibits MASLD-HCC development.

A map of fats across the whole mouse brain reveals a spatial architecture that differs from that seen in gene-expression and protein atlases.

A spatial lipidomic atlas of the mouse brain reveals more than 500 biochemical territories that mirror cell types and connectivity, capture oligodendrocyte heterogeneity and ventricular zonation, and are remodelled during pregnancy.

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 20 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s42255-026-01583-zRewiring of branched-chain amino acid catabolism in prostate cancer fuels propionyl-CoA synthesis, lysine propionylation and stabilization of SREBP2, leading to increased cholesterol and androgen synthesis, and thus promotes metabolic adaptation of cancer cells and disease progression.

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s42255-026-01557-1This study demonstrates that lipids in ascites impair T cell activation through disrupting TCR dynamics, which has translational implications for adoptive T cell therapies.

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 23 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s42255-026-01578-wMitochondrial oxidative metabolism is found to strongly affect the response of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells to the chemotherapeutic drug 5-fluorouracil (5FU). Targeting mitochondrial metabolism sensitizes CRC cells to 5FU.

Researchers at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), Imperial College London and UCL Genetics Institute have created a detailed map of cells within breast tumours and identified distinct neigh...

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s42255-026-01557-1This study demonstrates that lipids in ascites impair T cell activation through disrupting TCR dynamics, which has translational implications for adoptive T cell therapies.

Diet shapes obesity-associated therapeutic responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors through gut microbial metabolism and host anti-tumour immunity, demonstrated in mouse custom-diet models and human-to-mouse fecal microbiota transplantation experiments.

Tissue-specific fibroblast lipid cues are shown to significantly influence the invasion rate of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), with oral and lung fibroblasts promoting aggressive cancer behaviour through distinct lipid metabolic pathways, while dermal fibroblasts, being lipid poor, limit cutaneous SCC invasion.

Jiang et al. show that microbial phosphoketolase (PKT) enhances anti-TNF efficacy in inflammatory bowel disease by rewiring macrophage glucose metabolism. Through a lactate-driven H4K12 lactylation-SERT axis, PKT promotes 5-HIAA production to expand Tregs. A prospective clinical trial further demonstrates that PKT-producing Bifidobacterium improves therapeutic outcomes.

TRIP6 phosphorylation triggers a signalling cascade that promotes glycolysis in KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer cells. The resulting lactate accumulation drives extracellular lactylation of CD44 on CD8⁺ T cells, thereby compromising their anti-tumour activity.

In the early stages of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) development, loss of ALDH1L2 expression elevates reactive oxygen species levels, driving accelerated acinar-to-ductal metaplasia. Decreased ALDH1L2 expression is accompanied by formate overflow, which can be used to monitor PDAC progression.

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 28 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s42255-026-01528-6Biliary epithelial cells have long been viewed as passive conduits for bile transport. A study in mice now reveals that FXR signalling in these cells maintains a protective barrier, with implications for liver fibrosis therapy.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) are drivers of liver cancer, promoting its development through chronic liver injury and inflammation. In this Review, Rahbari et al. highlight the distinct pathophysiological mechanisms of progression and therapeutic advancements for MASLD and ALD, emphasizing the need for more tailored approaches to manage these complex diseases and their cancer risks.

Nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for more than 80% of lung cancer cases. Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations (EGFRm) occur in 15 and 40% of NSCLC in Western and Asian populations, res...

Izar and colleagues review the insights into cancer biology gained via single-cell analyses and spatial profiling and overview the challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of th...

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest cancers, driven by aggressive biology, profound therapy resistance, and scarce treatment options. Beyond classical metabolic rewiring, recent discoveries reveal that lipid metabolism plays a central and previously underappreciated role in PDAC progression. Emerging evidence shows that fatty acids, cholesterol, lysophospholipids, sphingolipids, and oxidized lipid species actively shape oncogenic signaling, influence stromal and immune interactions, and contribute to metastasis and treatment evasion. In this review, we highlight these recent advances and discuss how lipid-driven circuits intersect with major oncogenic pathways, including KRAS effectors and phosphoinositide 3-kinase–AKT. By integrating mechanistic insights with therapeutic perspectives, we outline new opportunities to exploit lipid-based vulnerabilities in pancreatic cancer.

Insights into the mechanism by which phosphatidylserine functions as a non-classical inhibitory molecule during T cell exhaustion, and how phosphatidylserine-targeting antibodies enhance T cell responses are explored.

One of oncology’s biggest challenges is that the same treatment can work well for some patients but fail completely in others.

Cancer drugs can accumulate in hidden “storage hubs” inside tumour cells, creating uneven drug exposure across tumours, according to new...

Cancer drugs can accumulate in hidden “storage hubs” inside tumour cells, creating uneven drug exposure across tumours, according to new research from the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) and ...

Secondary breast cancer tumours reprogram lung cells to feed them energy-rich fats. Could this dependency be their downfall?

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 11 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s42255-026-01480-5A distinct lipid-laden subset of monocyte-derived macrophages regulates hepatocyte proliferation and liver regeneration in injured livers, via CD36-mediated signalling.

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Published online: 02 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41575-026-01178-9Metabolites are important mediators of metabolism at the cellular and organismal levels. This Review explores the concept of metabotherapy, harnessing metabolites to prevent and treat gastrointestinal disorders, providing insights into metabolite classifications and their pathophysiological mechanisms in health and disease and mapping their potential as therapeutic targets.

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Published online: 30 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41575-026-01174-zSteatotic liver disease (SLD), which might lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, is on the rise worldwide. This Expert Recommendation draws on lessons learned to tackle viral hepatitis and proposes a framework for SLD screening and testing policies.

Using data from the UK Biobank, the authors develop a comprehensive human metabolome–phenome atlas, including a browsable web tool, to uncover unique metabolite–trait and metabolite–disease associations with time, and discuss potential causal relationships.

Lange et al. identify a lipid droplet quality control pathway in which FSP1 safeguards stored neutral lipids from lipid peroxidation, thereby preventing the induction of ferroptosis.

Enhanced polyamine depletion in neuroblastoma models decreases translation of mRNA codons with adenosine in the third position, reprogramming the tumour proteome away from cell cycle progression and towards differentiation.

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 25 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s42255-025-01330-wThis study shows that animal-based high-fat diets accelerate tumour growth and impair anti-tumour response to melanoma in obese mice, whereas plant-based high-fat diets do not.

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Published online: 07 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41575-025-01089-1In this Review, Yu and colleagues describe the role of the gut microbiome and the gut–liver axis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and MASLD-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). They discuss clinical implications for the diagnosis and treatment of MASLD and MASLD-related HCC.

Scientists from the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) and Imperial College London have produced the first detailed characterisation of the changes that weight loss causes in human fat tissue by...

Sassano et al. identify endoplasmic reticulum–mitochondria contact sites as the intracellular location where phospholipid peroxidation first occurs to promote ferroptosis. Manipulating these contact s...

An atlas mapping organ-specific metabolite production and consumption across various pathophysiological states in pigs shows impaired metabolic activity across organs by a Western diet or hypercholest...

The Great Exhibition Road Festival is an annual celebration of science and the arts in South Kensington, London.

Typical mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) experiments involve the collection of data from only one class of molecules per section. However, it is often necessary to collect data from different classes o...

Steatotic liver disease (SLD), which encompasses various causes of fat accumulation in the liver, is a major cause of liver fibrosis. Understanding the specific mechanisms of lipotoxicity, dysregulate...

Steatotic liver disease (SLD), which encompasses various causes of fat accumulation in the liver, is a major cause of liver fibrosis. Understanding th…

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common condition linked to increased morbidity, mortality, and substantial health care costs both in the United States and globally. Early diagnosis, prompt intervention...

Pathway analysis, originally developed for gene expression data, has been adapted for metabolomics. However, owing to the unique characteristics and constraints of metabolites compared with genes, pat...