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Metabolites
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The Role of Lipid Metabolism in Health and Disease
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The Role of Lipid Metabolism in Health and Disease

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Lipid Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 3288

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mónica Narváez-Rivas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
Interests: lipidomics; metabolomics; bile acids; mass spectrometry; liquid chromatography; gas chromatography; pediatric metabolic disorders; statistics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lipids are vital to human health, functioning as structural components of cellular membranes, reservoirs of metabolic energy, and modulators of signaling pathways that govern key physiological processes. Their roles in apoptosis, inflammation, immune regulation, and cellular stress responses highlight their importance in maintaining systemic homeostasis. Disruptions in lipid metabolism—whether due to genetic mutations, environmental exposures, or lifestyle factors—are increasingly recognized as contributors to a wide range of diseases, including metabolic, cardiovascular, hepatic, neurological, and immune-related conditions.

The global rise in metabolic disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease underscores the need for a deeper understanding of lipid biology in both health and disease. At the same time, rare and complex lipid-related disorders are gaining visibility thanks to advances in lipidomic technologies. High-resolution mass spectrometry and integrative omics approaches are enabling the precise characterization of lipid species and their dynamic roles in pathophysiology, offering new opportunities for biomarker discovery and therapeutic innovation.

This Special Issue, “The Role of Lipid Metabolism in Health and Disease,” invites original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that explore the multifaceted roles of lipids in human biology and pathology. We welcome contributions from basic, translational, and clinical research domains with a focus on how lipid metabolism influences disease mechanisms, diagnostics, and treatment strategies. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Lipidomic profiling in health and disease;
  • Mechanistic insights into lipid metabolism and its dysregulation;
  • Lipid-based biomarkers for disease risk, progression, and therapeutic response;
  • The role of lipids in inflammation, immunity, and cellular stress;
  • Lipid metabolism in rare and complex disorders;
  • Integrative approaches combining lipidomics with genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics;
  • Translational applications of lipid research in clinical practice and public health.

Through this Special Issue, we aim to highlight the central role of lipid metabolism in human health and disease, and to foster interdisciplinary collaboration that drives innovation in diagnostics, therapeutics, and preventive medicine.

Dr. Mónica Narváez-Rivas
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • lipid metabolism
  • lipidomics
  • dyslipidemia
  • mass spectrometry
  • lipid biomarkers
  • lipid signaling
  • therapeutic targets
  • bioinformatics
  • clinical lipidomics

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2988 KB  
Article
Region-Specific Lipid Alterations Around the 28-Year Transition as Early Indicators of Skin Aging
by Meiting Yi, Qian Jiao, Jianbiao He, Huiliang Li, Yangyang Fang, Youjie He, Huaming He and Yan Jia
Metabolites 2026, 16(1), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo16010073 - 13 Jan 2026
Viewed by 779
Abstract
Background: Early molecular changes on the facial skin surface during early adulthood remain insufficiently characterized. We integrated biophysical readouts with untargeted skin surface lipid (SSL) profiling to identify region-dependent, age-associated features in women with combination skin. Methods: Eighty healthy Chinese women [...] Read more.
Background: Early molecular changes on the facial skin surface during early adulthood remain insufficiently characterized. We integrated biophysical readouts with untargeted skin surface lipid (SSL) profiling to identify region-dependent, age-associated features in women with combination skin. Methods: Eighty healthy Chinese women were stratified into 22–28 years (n = 40) and 29–35 years (n = 40). Sebum was measured on the cheek and forehead; cheek elasticity, hydration (CM), transepidermal water loss (TEWL), pH, and tone indices were assessed under standardized conditions. SSLs from both regions were profiled by UPLC–QTOF–MS. Differential features were prioritized using OPLS-DA (VIP > 1) with univariate screening (p < 0.05; fold change > 2 or <0.5). Results: TEWL, CM, and pH were comparable between age groups, whereas the older group showed lower cheek elasticity and reduced sebum. Lipidomics revealed clearer remodeling on the cheek than the forehead: 30 and 59 differential SSL features were identified in the cheek and forehead, respectively. Cheek changes in the older group were characterized by lower ceramides (including acylceramides), TG/DG and long-chain fatty acids, alongside relatively higher cholesteryl esters. Conclusions: Conventional barrier indices remained largely stable across this age window, while cheek SSL profiles captured earlier molecular shifts, providing candidates for targeted validation and longitudinal follow-up. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Lipid Metabolism in Health and Disease)
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21 pages, 668 KB  
Article
The Effect of Short-Term and High-Intensity Functional Circuit Training on Plasma Lipidome Profiles of People Living with and Without HIV
by Marcos Yukio Yoshinaga, Flávio Gomez Faria, Adriano de Britto Chaves-Filho, Sayuri Miyamoto, Tania Cristina Pithon-Curi, Giselle Cristina Bueno, Bruno Ferrari Silva, Sidney Barnabé Peres and Solange Marta Franzoi de Moraes
Metabolites 2026, 16(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo16010016 - 24 Dec 2025
Viewed by 988
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Both HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy contribute to dyslipidemia and abnormal body fat distribution in people living with HIV (PLWH). Exercise training is an effective intervention to protect against these metabolic changes. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the impact [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Both HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy contribute to dyslipidemia and abnormal body fat distribution in people living with HIV (PLWH). Exercise training is an effective intervention to protect against these metabolic changes. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the impact of exercise training on lipid metabolism in PLWH. This study aimed to comparatively evaluate the effect of high-intensity functional circuit training on the plasma lipidome of PLWH and HIV-negative subjects (control). Methods: PLWH (n = 13) and control (n = 14) were submitted to 8 weeks of exercise training. Body composition, anthropometric, and biochemical parameters were measured. Plasma was obtained in a fasting state for lipidomic analysis. Results: Anthropometric and biochemical parameters revealed lower levels of leptin, HDL-C, body fat %, and BMI combined with elevated aspartate transaminase (AST) and Homeostasis Model Assessment of β-cell function (HOMA_beta) in PLWH when compared to control subjects that persisted from baseline to post-exercise training. Nonetheless, contrasting levels of adiponectin, fasting insulin, and phosphatidylcholine-containing lipids observed at baseline were equalized after training in PLWH. In control subjects, significant reductions in concentrations of triglycerides alongside phosphatidylinositol and glycosylated ceramides were observed post-exercise training. By contrast, PWLH displayed an increase in diglycerides, acylcarnitines, and free cholesterol levels after exercise training, together with decreased concentrations of free fatty acids, cholesteryl esters, and glycosylated ceramides. Conclusions: In addition to specific lipidome alterations in each group, particularly driven by improved insulin resistance in PLWH, this study showed concomitant modulation of several glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids, suggesting health-promoting effects of short-term exercise training. Collectively, these modulated lipid species represent interesting targets for future lipidomic-based studies evaluating not only the effects of exercise training but also the molecular mechanisms resulting in a healthier plasma lipidome profile. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Lipid Metabolism in Health and Disease)
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Review

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22 pages, 642 KB  
Review
Lipidomic Signatures in Pediatric Metabolic Disorders
by Monica Narvaez-Rivas and Kenneth D. R. Setchell
Metabolites 2026, 16(1), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo16010033 - 28 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1089
Abstract
Lipids are essential biomolecules involved in membrane structure, energy storage, and intracellular signaling. Dysregulation of lipid metabolism (dyslipidemia) plays a central role in a wide spectrum of pediatric metabolic disorders, including both inherited and acquired conditions. Recent and rapid advances in mass spectrometry-based [...] Read more.
Lipids are essential biomolecules involved in membrane structure, energy storage, and intracellular signaling. Dysregulation of lipid metabolism (dyslipidemia) plays a central role in a wide spectrum of pediatric metabolic disorders, including both inherited and acquired conditions. Recent and rapid advances in mass spectrometry-based lipidomics have enabled high-resolution profiling of more than one-thousand lipid species, facilitating the discovery of disease-specific lipid signatures that were previously undetectable with conventional biochemical assays. In parallel, the rising prevalence of pediatric obesity, diabetes, asthma, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD; formerly referred to as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD) and cancers has accelerated research aimed at uncovering molecular pathways underlying these conditions. Lipidomic approaches have also improved the identification and characterization of rare metabolic disorders. As analytical technologies continue to advance, lipidomics is poised to become a cornerstone of precision medicine in pediatrics, offering new opportunities for early diagnosis, risk stratification, and therapeutic targeting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Lipid Metabolism in Health and Disease)
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