Neurons run on fat, 2026, Teo et al.

[SNT Gatchaman]

Neurons run on fat

Spoiler: Authors

Teo, Rui Qi; Fidelito, Gio; Watt, Matthew J; Dodd, Garron T

Neurons were long thought to depend primarily on glucose metabolism for ATP production. However, recent findings from three laboratories show neurons metabolise long-chain fatty acids as alternative fuel. Here, we highlight emerging evidence on the neutral lipid lipase DDHD2 and mechanisms enabling fatty acid mobilisation and oxidation in neurons. These advances reshape our understanding of neuronal bioenergetics and reveal an unexpected flexibility in how the brain can be fuelled.

Web | DOI | PDF | Nature npj Metabolic Health and Disease | Open Access

 

[Turtle]

Woken up by my glucose sensor alarm, too low, I was as sharp as a fiddle, isn't that serendipity.
Lipid droplets, long-chain fatty acids. triglycerides. carnitines (Germain), neurons, feels as if they write about ME/CFS problems, though tested on mice.
Can't wait for the specialists here to have a good look at this paper.

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

Quoting from a related 2025 thread:

If the findings hold up it means that we’ve been absolutely incorrect about the idea that the brain only uses glucose as a fuel source. It also means that measurements of brain metabolic activity using glucose tracing have only been looking at half the story.