Abstract Background Lactylation, a new epigenetic modification, is an important way in which lactate exerts physiological functions. There is a close relationship between increased lactylations caused by lactate and glycolysis, which can interact and play a role in disease through lactate as an intermediate mediator. Current research on lactylations has focused on histone lactylation, but non-histone lactylation also has greater research potential. Due to the ubiquity of lactate modifications in mammalian cells, an increasing number of studies have found that lactate modifications play important roles in tumour cell metabolism, gene transcription and immunity. Methods A systematic literature search was carried out using search key terms and synonyms. Full-paper screening was performed based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results Many literatures have reported that the lactylation of protein plays an important role in human diseases and is involved in the occurrence and development of human diseases. Conclusions This article summary the correlation between lactylation and glycolysis, histones and non-histone proteins; the relationship between lactonation modifications and tumour development; and the current existence of lactylation-related inhibitors, with a view to provide new basic research ideas and clinical therapeutic tools for lactylation-related diseases.