The benefits of exercise in mitigating obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other cardiometabolic diseases are well-established, but the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms remain elusive. Join us in this episode as we explore these mechanisms with Dr. Long, whose research has led to the discovery of N-lactoyl-phenylalanine (Lac-Phe), a metabolite stimulated by exercise that suppresses feeding and obesity.

Dr. Long's team found that Lac-Phe is synthesized from lactate and phenylalanine in CNDP2+ cells, including macrophages, monocytes, and other immune and epithelial cells found in various organs. In diet-induced obese mice, an increase in Lac-Phe levels reduced food intake, leading to decreased adiposity and body weight, and improved glucose homeostasis. They further discovered that ablation of Lac-Phe biosynthesis resulted in increased  ...