Lipids are not just energy sources and structural components of cell membranes – they also act as molecules that transmit signals within and between cells. A new Koselleck Project at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Goethe University Frankfurt and the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research focuses on certain products derived from arachidonic acid. These products exhibit beneficial effects in cardiovascular diseases as well as in Alzheimer’s dementia and chronic pain.

Mitochondrial DNA mutations cause muscle cells to struggle with energy production, forcing them to rely more on glycolysis and produce excess lactate. Far from being just a waste product, lactate acts as a signal that changes how genes work. Recently, researchers from Qilu Hospital of Shandong University have found that lactate modifies histones in muscle, turning on the stress-response factor GDF15. This work has been published in Science Bulletin, and the new discovery reveals how lactate helps muscles adapt to mitochondrial stress and points to new directions for treating mitochondrial diseases.