Lipid metabolism in homeostasis and disease

Zhenghao Li; Wende Deng; Lanxuan Yang; Changheng Tang; Jian Min Yue; Olivia Monteiro; Daniel T. Baptista-Hon; Ting Li

doi:10.1038/s41392-025-02357-x

Lipid metabolism in homeostasis and disease

Zhenghao Li
, Wende Deng
, Lanxuan Yang
, Changheng Tang
, Jian Min Yue
, Olivia Monteiro
, Daniel T. Baptista-Hon
, Ting Li (Lead / Corresponding author)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

17 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Lipid metabolism is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis, and its dysregulation is linked to various diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Immune cells, such as macrophages, T cells, B cells, and neutrophils, rely on lipid metabolism for their function, which impacts both innate and adaptive immune responses. Understanding how lipid metabolism influences immune cells is crucial, as it can reveal new therapeutic opportunities for immune-mediated diseases. In this review, we provide a retrospective summary of the research history and milestone events in lipid metabolism research and highlight the importance of lipid metabolism in immune cells. In addition to discussing the various lipid functions, transport, and signaling pathways involved in lipid metabolism, we mainly explore the regulation of immune cell behavior by lipid metabolism, focusing on the roles of lipid metabolites in immune cell proliferation, differentiation, and activation. We further highlight multilevel regulatory mechanisms, including genetic, epigenetic, posttranscriptional, and posttranslational regulation, and their impact on immune cell function. Additionally, we discuss the role of lipid metabolism in diseases such as autoimmune diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, aging, and metabolic disorders. Finally, we summarize therapeutic strategies targeting lipid metabolism, the progress of global clinical trials, and future research directions, including lipid-derived biomarkers and innovative therapeutic approaches.

Original language	English
Article number	55
Number of pages	38
Journal	Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy
Volume	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-025-02357-x
Publication status	Published - 16 Feb 2026

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Genetics
Cancer Research

Access to Document

10.1038/s41392-025-02357-xLicence: CC BY

Final published version
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.
Final published version, 5.78 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{5226ad7d060644eb8de0b5ab56cd1546,

title = "Lipid metabolism in homeostasis and disease",

abstract = "Lipid metabolism is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis, and its dysregulation is linked to various diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Immune cells, such as macrophages, T cells, B cells, and neutrophils, rely on lipid metabolism for their function, which impacts both innate and adaptive immune responses. Understanding how lipid metabolism influences immune cells is crucial, as it can reveal new therapeutic opportunities for immune-mediated diseases. In this review, we provide a retrospective summary of the research history and milestone events in lipid metabolism research and highlight the importance of lipid metabolism in immune cells. In addition to discussing the various lipid functions, transport, and signaling pathways involved in lipid metabolism, we mainly explore the regulation of immune cell behavior by lipid metabolism, focusing on the roles of lipid metabolites in immune cell proliferation, differentiation, and activation. We further highlight multilevel regulatory mechanisms, including genetic, epigenetic, posttranscriptional, and posttranslational regulation, and their impact on immune cell function. Additionally, we discuss the role of lipid metabolism in diseases such as autoimmune diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, aging, and metabolic disorders. Finally, we summarize therapeutic strategies targeting lipid metabolism, the progress of global clinical trials, and future research directions, including lipid-derived biomarkers and innovative therapeutic approaches.",

author = "Zhenghao Li and Wende Deng and Lanxuan Yang and Changheng Tang and Yue, \{Jian Min\} and Olivia Monteiro and Baptista-Hon, \{Daniel T.\} and Ting Li",

note = "Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2026, The Author(s).",

year = "2026",

month = feb,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1038/s41392-025-02357-x",

language = "English",

volume = "11",

journal = "Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy",

issn = "2095-9907",

publisher = "Springer Nature",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Lipid metabolism in homeostasis and disease

AU - Li, Zhenghao

AU - Deng, Wende

AU - Yang, Lanxuan

AU - Tang, Changheng

AU - Yue, Jian Min

AU - Monteiro, Olivia

AU - Baptista-Hon, Daniel T.

AU - Li, Ting

PY - 2026/2/16

Y1 - 2026/2/16

N2 - Lipid metabolism is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis, and its dysregulation is linked to various diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Immune cells, such as macrophages, T cells, B cells, and neutrophils, rely on lipid metabolism for their function, which impacts both innate and adaptive immune responses. Understanding how lipid metabolism influences immune cells is crucial, as it can reveal new therapeutic opportunities for immune-mediated diseases. In this review, we provide a retrospective summary of the research history and milestone events in lipid metabolism research and highlight the importance of lipid metabolism in immune cells. In addition to discussing the various lipid functions, transport, and signaling pathways involved in lipid metabolism, we mainly explore the regulation of immune cell behavior by lipid metabolism, focusing on the roles of lipid metabolites in immune cell proliferation, differentiation, and activation. We further highlight multilevel regulatory mechanisms, including genetic, epigenetic, posttranscriptional, and posttranslational regulation, and their impact on immune cell function. Additionally, we discuss the role of lipid metabolism in diseases such as autoimmune diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, aging, and metabolic disorders. Finally, we summarize therapeutic strategies targeting lipid metabolism, the progress of global clinical trials, and future research directions, including lipid-derived biomarkers and innovative therapeutic approaches.

AB - Lipid metabolism is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis, and its dysregulation is linked to various diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Immune cells, such as macrophages, T cells, B cells, and neutrophils, rely on lipid metabolism for their function, which impacts both innate and adaptive immune responses. Understanding how lipid metabolism influences immune cells is crucial, as it can reveal new therapeutic opportunities for immune-mediated diseases. In this review, we provide a retrospective summary of the research history and milestone events in lipid metabolism research and highlight the importance of lipid metabolism in immune cells. In addition to discussing the various lipid functions, transport, and signaling pathways involved in lipid metabolism, we mainly explore the regulation of immune cell behavior by lipid metabolism, focusing on the roles of lipid metabolites in immune cell proliferation, differentiation, and activation. We further highlight multilevel regulatory mechanisms, including genetic, epigenetic, posttranscriptional, and posttranslational regulation, and their impact on immune cell function. Additionally, we discuss the role of lipid metabolism in diseases such as autoimmune diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, aging, and metabolic disorders. Finally, we summarize therapeutic strategies targeting lipid metabolism, the progress of global clinical trials, and future research directions, including lipid-derived biomarkers and innovative therapeutic approaches.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105030170619

U2 - 10.1038/s41392-025-02357-x

DO - 10.1038/s41392-025-02357-x

M3 - Review article

C2 - 41692800

AN - SCOPUS:105030170619

SN - 2095-9907

VL - 11

JO - Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy

JF - Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy

M1 - 55

ER -

Lipid metabolism in homeostasis and disease

Abstract

UN SDGs

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this