MRPL28 encodes a mitochondrial ribosomal protein that functions as a structural component of the mitochondrial large ribosomal subunit, contributing to mitochondrial translation. The protein contains RNA-binding and protein-binding domains essential for ribosome assembly and function. MRPL28 regulates tumor metabolism through mitochondrial oxidative capacity. A 2009 study identified MRPL28 as a genetic element whose loss in pancreatic tumor cells decreased mitochondrial activity while increasing glycolysis, paradoxically accelerating tumor growth in vivo 1. This phenotype mirrors the Warburg effect, where reduced mitochondrial function and compensatory aerobic glycolysis promote tumor proliferation, suggesting that oxygen consumption itself may be rate-limiting for tumor growth 1. Beyond cancer, MRPL28 has emerged as a locus associated with metabolic and developmental traits. In a mouse model of dietary obesity, MRPL28 was identified as a candidate gene within quantitative trait loci linked to body fat accumulation in a diet- and sex-dependent manner 2. Additionally, DNA methylation differences at the MRPL28 locus have been detected in infants exposed to maternal asthma during pregnancy and in individuals with social anxiety disorder and early life adversity, suggesting potential epigenetic involvement in developmental and psychiatric pathways 3, 4. These findings position MRPL28 at the intersection of bioenergetic control and disease susceptibility, though its precise molecular mechanisms in these contexts require further investigation.