Neurons run on fat

Neurons were long thought to depend primarily on glucose metabolism for ATP production. However, recent findings from three laboratories show neurons metabolise long-chain fatty acids as alternative fuel. Here, we highlight emerging evidence on the neutral lipid lipase DDHD2 and mechanisms enabling fatty acid mobilisation and oxidation in neurons. These advances reshape our understanding of neuronal bioenergetics and reveal an unexpected flexibility in how the brain can be fuelled.