// NATURE NEWS — SPAZIO & SCIENZA
Lactate takes a shortcut into mitochondria to power the heart
Trace Thome is in the Cardiovascular Institute and the Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
Search author on:
PubMed
Google Scholar
Zolt Arany is in the Cardiovascular Institute and the Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
Search author on:
PubMed
Google Scholar
Lactate is abundant in human blood and is crucial for systemic metabolism. Although it has been studied for centuries, there is still controversy about how this molecule is handled by cells. One long-standing debate is about the mechanism by which lactate-derived carbons make their way into mitochondria to fuel the production of energy-carrying ATP molecules. Writing in Nature, Cluntun et al.1 provide solid support for a conclusion that defies current dogma: in the heart, lactate can enter mitochondria directly through a specific transporter protein and this process is essential for cardiac function under stress.
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Cluntun, A. A. et al. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-11182-3 (2026).
Article
PubMed
Google Scholar