Section snippets Main textMean body weight continues to rise worldwide despite intensive prevention and treatment focused on energy restriction, leading to formulation of new models of obesity pathogenesis. In the carbohydrate-insulin model (CIM),1 a diet high in glycemic load (GL) (the multiplicative product of glycemic index [GI] and carbohydrate amount) initiates a sequence of hormonal responses

Section snippets Main textThank you for the opportunity to respond to the letter by Ludwig and colleagues1 generated in response to our paper where we tested some predictions of the carbohydrate-insulin model (CIM).2 The CIM proposes that obesity arises because high glycemic-load (GL) diets cause a set of hormonal changes that shift substrate partitioning toward fat storage, leading to greater hunger

This year, Cell Metabolism is celebrating its 20th anniversary! We are taking this opportunity to highlight authors that have published with us as they developed, and keep developing, their research careers. In 2005, Cell Metabolism was just starting an exciting journey to become a reference forum for interdisciplinary, high-quality metabolism studies. Throughout these years, it has been an honor to

There is no cure for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), only treatment for its highly prevalent reproductive, cardiometabolic, and psychological symptoms. Early signs of PCOS appear during infancy. This enabled Cotellessa et al.1 to develop and administer neutralizing antibody therapy during infancy in a female mouse model to eradicate PCOS symptomology.

Body physiology follows the daily rhythm driven by the circadian system, which underlies the emerging concept of chrono-medicine. In this issue, Chen et al.1 report that feeding timing modulates adipocyte AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) α2 signaling to enhance exercise performance in mice, paving the way for chronotherapeutic approaches of AMPK activators such as metformin.

The death of mammalian cells is generally regulated by a complex interplay amongst distinct molecular machineries that ultimately determines the kinetic and immunological consequences of the process. Recent data from Song et al. delineate a new metabolic circuitry through which apoptotic signals may actively suppress cell death via ferroptosis.

A crucial goal of sleep science is to uncover the molecular mechanisms that translate sleep need into neural pathways that discharge sleep/wake transitions. In a new study, Tian et al.1 provide support in living animals that peroxide in the substantia nigra is a critical driver of these states.

With the rising prevalence of T2D worldwide, peripheral artery disease (PAD) now affects >230 million individuals globally. In the recent STRIDE trial, Bonaca et al.1 demonstrated that semaglutide improved walking capacity and hemodynamic parameters and slowed PAD progression in patients with T2D. These results reveal an unanticipated vasculoprotective benefit of GLP-1RAs.

(Cell Metabolism 37, 1–16.e1–e4; July 1, 2025)

(Cell Metabolism 36, 2367–2382.e1–e5; November 5, 2024)

This year, Cell Metabolism is celebrating its 20th anniversary! We are taking this opportunity to highlight authors that have published with us as they developed, and keep developing, their research careers. In 2005, Cell Metabolism was just starting an exciting journey to become a reference forum for interdisciplinary, high-quality metabolism studies. Throughout these years, it has been an honor to

Aspartame, a low-calorie sweetener (LCS), was shown to be safe through extensive pre-clinical and clinical tests. However, epidemiological data link aspartame and other LCSs to higher cardiovascular risk. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, Wu et al.1 show that aspartame accelerates atherosclerosis via a vagal-mediated insulin-dependent mechanism in a hyperlipidemic mouse model.

Macrophages are responsible for sensing, phagocytosing, and destroying bacteria, yet the metabolic fate of these internalized microbes remains largely unexplored. A recent study published by Lesbats et al. in Nature1 uncovers how macrophages recycle some of the components from phagolysosomal degradation, using them as intermediates in various anabolic pathways and as fuel for oxidative phosphorylation

(Cell Metabolism 37, 606–615.e1–e3; March 4, 2025)

(Cell Metabolism 31, 534–548.e1–e5; March 3, 2020)

In January 2005, Cell Metabolism released its very first issue, and this year we are proud to celebrate 20 years of publishing broadly impactful metabolic research. In this Voices series, we highlight individuals who, like Cell Metabolism, were just starting out in the metabolism field when they published in the pages of the first issues of this new journal. Over the past 20 years, these authors have

The contributions of signals generated by hepatic stellate cells that regulate hepatocyte lipid and glucose homeostasis are largely unexplored. The article by Hansen et al. introduces a novel role of plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein (PLVAP), a membrane protein expressed by hepatic stellate cells, in regulating these pathways in hepatocytes during fasting.

Adipose tissue adapts to metabolic challenges through multiple regulatory mechanisms, including neuronal input. Although sympathetic neuronal regulation is well established, the impact of sensory feedback remains elusive. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, two studies reveal that sensory neurons expressing PIEZO2 modulate adipose function by inhibiting sympathetic output, reshaping our understanding

Protein-level investigations into the human microbiome provide insights into active microbial functions. Recently, Valdés-Mas et al.1 introduced a metagenome-informed metaproteomics approach to functionally explore species-level microbiome-host interactions and quantify the dietary exposome. Its potential has been implemented in mice and humans to uncover proteomic signatures of health and inflammatory

The reprogramming of metabolic pathways and processes in immune cells has emerged as an important aspect of the immune response. Metabolic intermediates accumulate as a result of metabolic adaptations and mediate functions outside of metabolism in the regulation of immunity and inflammation. In macrophages, there has been a major focus on 3 metabolites linked to the Krebs cycle, itaconate, succinate

(Cell Metabolism 35, 101–117.e1–e11; January 3, 2023)

Section snippets Main textWe present this special focus issue on March 4th, coinciding with World Obesity Day 2025, to show our solidarity with the World Obesity Federation and advocate for increased awareness, prevention, and treatment of obesity. We embrace this year’s World Obesity Day theme, "Changing Systems," which challenges us to broaden our perspective from viewing obesity as solely an individual

Using a high-fat-diet (HFD) mouse model and clinical samples, Wang et al.1 in this issue of Cell Metabolism report that ferroptotic signaling is involved in the expansion of adipose tissue and promotes adaptive thermogenesis in beige adipocytes. This finding may represent a promising new avenue for treating obesity.

Starvation triggers an organismal adaptive response that is orchestrated by endocrine factors. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, Long et al.1 uncover a famsin-glucagon axis that relays gut-derived hormonal cues to systemic glucose homeostasis during fasting.

Obesity is a growing public health issue that has recently been transformed through the advent of new medicines. However, our understanding of the pathways and mechanisms that regulate energy balance in mammals is still developing. Recent discoveries on this front include an exciting new finding that there exists a novel class of metabolites in humans and mice that can regulate obesity in rodents.

Over the last 30 years, our understanding of the causes of obesity has been transformed, and new, highly effective medicines for reducing weight have been developed. This remarkable progress marks an end and a beginning. By establishing that obesity is a biologic disorder amenable to scientific inquiry and rational drug development, simplistic notions about its causes and treatment should be laid to

Advances in the understanding of homeostatic regulation of body weight and the neurobiology of appetite, combined with innovations in medicinal chemistry, have paved the way for safe and effective weight loss medications. Long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonists have revolutionized obesity treatment, and, together with emerging GLP-1-based multi-agonists and combination therapies, offer significant potential