Metabolism has been studied mainly in cultured cells or at the level of whole tissues or whole organisms in vivo. Consequently, our understanding of metabolic heterogeneity among cells within tissues is limited, particularly when it comes to rare cells with biologically distinct properties, such as stem cells. Stem cell function, tissue regeneration and cancer suppression are all metabolically regulated, although it is not yet clear whether there are metabolic mechanisms unique to stem cells that regulate their activity and function. Recent work has, however, provided evidence that stem cells do have a metabolic signature that is distinct from that of restricted progenitors and that metabolic changes influence tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Stem cell maintenance throughout life in many tissues depends upon minimizing anabolic pathway activation and cell division. Consequently, stem cell activation by tissue injury is associated with changes in mitochondrial function, lysosome activity and lipid metabolism, potentially at the cost of eroding self-renewal potential. Stem cell metabolism is also regulated by the environment: stem cells metabolically interact with other cells in their niches and are able to sense and adapt to dietary changes. The accelerating understanding of stem cell metabolism is revealing new aspects of tissue homeostasis with the potential to promote tissue regeneration and cancer suppression.

代谢主要在培养的细胞中或在体内的整个组织或整个生物体的水平上进行了研究。因此，我们对组织内细胞之间代谢异质性的理解是有限的，特别是当涉及到具有不同生物学特性的稀有细胞时，例如干细胞。干细胞功能、组织再生和癌症抑制都受到代谢调节，尽管尚不清楚是否存在干细胞特有的代谢机制来调节它们的活性和功能。然而，最近的工作提供了证据，证明干细胞确实具有不同于受限祖细胞的代谢特征，并且代谢变化影响组织稳态和再生。在许多组织中，干细胞在整个生命周期中的维持取决于最大限度地减少合成代谢途径的激活和细胞分裂。因此，组织损伤引起的干细胞活化与线粒体功能、溶酶体活性和脂质代谢的变化有关，可能以削弱自我更新潜力为代价。干细胞代谢也受到环境的调节：干细胞在代谢上与其生态位中的其他细胞相互作用，并能够感知和适应饮食变化。对干细胞代谢的加速理解揭示了组织稳态的新方面，具有促进组织再生和癌症抑制的潜力。可能以削弱自我更新潜力为代价。干细胞代谢也受到环境的调节：干细胞在代谢上与其生态位中的其他细胞相互作用，并能够感知和适应饮食变化。对干细胞代谢的加速理解揭示了组织稳态的新方面，具有促进组织再生和癌症抑制的潜力。可能以削弱自我更新潜力为代价。干细胞代谢也受到环境的调节：干细胞在代谢上与其生态位中的其他细胞相互作用，并能够感知和适应饮食变化。对干细胞代谢的加速理解揭示了组织稳态的新方面，具有促进组织再生和癌症抑制的潜力。