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REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Inflammation
Volume 16 - 2025 |
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1510559
Lactate in Skin Homeostasis: Metabolism, Skin Barrier, and Immunomodulation
Provisionally accepted- Department of Dermatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
Lactate, once considered merely a byproduct of glycolysis, is now increasingly recognized as a multifunctional signaling molecule with roles beyond energy metabolism. It functions as an enzyme cofactor and binds to specific receptors to modulate cellular functions. In the skin, lactate is produced by various cell types. It is then transferred between cells or to the extracellular space, helping to balance cellular pH and to provide signals that regulate skin barrier and skin immunity. Additionally, lactate/lactate-related genes hold promising therapeutic potential for the treatment of skin tumors, inflammatory skin diseases, hair loss, and in cosmetic dermatology. This article highlights the latest advances in our understanding of lactate's biological effects on the skin and explores its therapeutic potential, offering insights into future research directions.
Keywords: Lactate, Metabolism, skin barrier, Immunomodulation, Therapeutics
Received: 13 Oct 2024; Accepted: 27 Jan 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ruan, Hu, Mo and Ju. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xiaohui Mo, Department of Dermatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
Qiang Ju, Department of Dermatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
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