Post-translational protein lactylation modification in health and diseases: a double-edged sword

As more is learned about lactate, it acts as both a product and a substrate and functions as a shuttle system between different cell populations to provide the energy for sustaining tumor growth and proliferation. Recent discoveries of protein lactylation modification mediated by lactate play an increasingly significant role in human health (e.g., neural and osteogenic differentiation and maturation) and diseases (e.g., tumors, fibrosis and inflammation, etc.). These views are critically significant and first described in detail in this review. Hence, here, we focused on a new target, protein lactylation, which may be a "double-edged sword" of human health and diseases. The main purpose of this review was to describe how protein lactylation acts in multiple physiological and pathological processes and their potential mechanisms through an in-depth summary of preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies. Our work aims to provide new ideas for treating different diseases and accelerate translation from bench to bedside.