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Volume 11,Issue 1

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16 March 2026

Molecular Orchestration of Lactylation in Colorectal Cancer: From Metabolic Reprogramming to Epigenetic Regulation

Yuting Chen*
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1 The Queen‘s University of Belfast Joint College Medical University, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning,  China
JMDS 2026 , 11(1), 172–178; https://doi.org/10.18063/JMDS.v11i1.1370
© 2026 by the Author. Licensee Whioce Publishing, Singapore. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
Abstract

Lactylation, a recently discovered post-translational modification (PTM), involves lactyl group conjugation to lysine residues of histone and non-histone proteins. It regulates protein function and gene expression and is closely linked to tumorigenesis and therapeutic response. In colorectal cancer (CRC), Warburg effect-induced lactate accumulation activates lactylation, which drives CRC progression by promoting oncogene expression, tumor growth, metastasis and chemoresistance, and forms regulatory networks via crosstalk with other PTMs. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms, functional roles and clinical relevance of lactylation in CRC, highlighting its potential as a promising target for novel CRC therapeutics.

Keywords
Lactylation
Post-translational modification
Colorectal cancer
Tumor metabolic environment
Warburg effe
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