Lactylation modification in cancer: mechanisms, functions, and therapeutic strategies

Abstract Cancer remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and the emergence of drug resistance has made the identification of new therapeutic targets imperative. Lactate, traditionally viewed as a byproduct of glycolysis with limited ATP-producing capacity, has recently gained recognition as...

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Main Authors: Mengqi Lv, Yefei Huang, Yansu Chen, Kun Ding
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-03-01
Series:Experimental Hematology & Oncology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40164-025-00622-x
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author Mengqi Lv
Yefei Huang
Yansu Chen
Kun Ding
author_facet Mengqi Lv
Yefei Huang
Yansu Chen
Kun Ding
author_sort Mengqi Lv
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Cancer remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and the emergence of drug resistance has made the identification of new therapeutic targets imperative. Lactate, traditionally viewed as a byproduct of glycolysis with limited ATP-producing capacity, has recently gained recognition as a critical signaling molecule. It plays a key role not only in cancer cell metabolism but also in shaping the tumor microenvironment (TME). Histone lysine lactylation, a newly identified post-translational modification, has been shown to influence a range of cellular processes in cancer. Current research focuses on the mechanisms and functions of histone lactylation in cancer, including its role in gene expression regulation, signal transduction, and protein synthesis. However, despite these advancements, there are still plenty of barriers in the quest to unravel the mechanisms of lactylation modification. The emergence of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics may offer valuable insights for selecting targets. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the mechanisms and the applications of lactylation modification in clinical settings. Through a detailed analysis, we identify the key challenges and limitations that exist in the current research landscape. These insights lay the groundwork for future studies by highlighting promising research directions.
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publishDate 2025-03-01
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series Experimental Hematology & Oncology
spelling doaj-art-c199809e0f8c487db44f8cd8b07965c62025-08-20T03:06:00ZengBMCExperimental Hematology & Oncology2162-36192025-03-0114111910.1186/s40164-025-00622-xLactylation modification in cancer: mechanisms, functions, and therapeutic strategiesMengqi Lv0Yefei Huang1Yansu Chen2Kun Ding3School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical UniversitySchool of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical UniversitySchool of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical UniversitySchool of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical UniversityAbstract Cancer remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and the emergence of drug resistance has made the identification of new therapeutic targets imperative. Lactate, traditionally viewed as a byproduct of glycolysis with limited ATP-producing capacity, has recently gained recognition as a critical signaling molecule. It plays a key role not only in cancer cell metabolism but also in shaping the tumor microenvironment (TME). Histone lysine lactylation, a newly identified post-translational modification, has been shown to influence a range of cellular processes in cancer. Current research focuses on the mechanisms and functions of histone lactylation in cancer, including its role in gene expression regulation, signal transduction, and protein synthesis. However, despite these advancements, there are still plenty of barriers in the quest to unravel the mechanisms of lactylation modification. The emergence of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics may offer valuable insights for selecting targets. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the mechanisms and the applications of lactylation modification in clinical settings. Through a detailed analysis, we identify the key challenges and limitations that exist in the current research landscape. These insights lay the groundwork for future studies by highlighting promising research directions.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40164-025-00622-xLactylationCancerMetabolic reprogrammingMetastasisTherapy
spellingShingle Mengqi Lv
Yefei Huang
Yansu Chen
Kun Ding
Lactylation modification in cancer: mechanisms, functions, and therapeutic strategies
Experimental Hematology & Oncology
Lactylation
Cancer
Metabolic reprogramming
Metastasis
Therapy
title Lactylation modification in cancer: mechanisms, functions, and therapeutic strategies
title_full Lactylation modification in cancer: mechanisms, functions, and therapeutic strategies
title_fullStr Lactylation modification in cancer: mechanisms, functions, and therapeutic strategies
title_full_unstemmed Lactylation modification in cancer: mechanisms, functions, and therapeutic strategies
title_short Lactylation modification in cancer: mechanisms, functions, and therapeutic strategies
title_sort lactylation modification in cancer mechanisms functions and therapeutic strategies
topic Lactylation
Cancer
Metabolic reprogramming
Metastasis
Therapy
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40164-025-00622-x
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AT yefeihuang lactylationmodificationincancermechanismsfunctionsandtherapeuticstrategies
AT yansuchen lactylationmodificationincancermechanismsfunctionsandtherapeuticstrategies
AT kunding lactylationmodificationincancermechanismsfunctionsandtherapeuticstrategies