Blood stem cells can survive without the two energy-generating processes previously thought essential for all complex life.
April 1, 2026
Original Paper
Stem cell function in vivo is supported by an alternative glycolysis endpoint
bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.03.30.715412
The Takeaway
Biology textbooks teach that all cells must either breathe oxygen or use fermentation to generate the energy needed to survive. Researchers discovered that blood stem cells are a bizarre exception, thriving while doing neither by simply 'dumping' their metabolic waste products to bypass these supposedly mandatory pathways.
From the abstract
Carbohydrates are classically catabolized by fermentation or oxidation, a choice that impacts many cellular functions including proliferation. Proliferating cells including somatic stem and progenitor cells are thought to favor fermentation over oxidation, and most proliferating cells in vitro depend on lactate production. However, it has not been tested if fermentation and oxidation are the universal obligatory terminal fates for carbohydrates in vivo because the key enzymes, lactate dehydrogen