2-Hydroxyglutarate Unit Converter

2-Hydroxyglutarate (2-HG) is a small organic acid closely related to alpha-ketoglutarate, a key molecule in your cells' energy-producing cycle. It exists in two mirror-image forms: D-2-HG and L-2-HG.

Under normal conditions, 2-HG is present only in trace amounts. When it accumulates abnormally, it was the first metabolite recognized as an "oncometabolite," meaning it can directly promote cancer development by disrupting how genes are regulated.

Measuring 2-HG in blood or urine helps identify certain cancers with IDH gene mutations (such as acute myeloid leukemia and brain tumors) and rare inherited metabolic disorders called 2-hydroxyglutaric acidurias.

Small amounts of D-2-HG and L-2-HG are produced as byproducts of normal metabolism in all cells. Dedicated mitochondrial enzymes (D-2-HG dehydrogenase and L-2-HG dehydrogenase) quickly clear them by converting them back to alpha-ketoglutarate. In cancers with IDH mutations, the mutant enzyme actively produces large quantities of D-2-HG, overwhelming the clearance system.