Targeting T cell (oxidative) metabolism to improve immunity to viral infection in the context of obesity

Disorders of systemic metabolism can influence immunity. Individuals with obesity are known to have increased inflammation, increased risk to select autoimmune diseases, impaired response to several infections, and impaired vaccine response. For example, over the last decade, it has become clear tha...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Elizabeth Greene, Nancie J. MacIver
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-10-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1025495/full
_version_ 1797997146531692544
author Elizabeth Greene
Nancie J. MacIver
Nancie J. MacIver
author_facet Elizabeth Greene
Nancie J. MacIver
Nancie J. MacIver
author_sort Elizabeth Greene
collection DOAJ
description Disorders of systemic metabolism can influence immunity. Individuals with obesity are known to have increased inflammation, increased risk to select autoimmune diseases, impaired response to several infections, and impaired vaccine response. For example, over the last decade, it has become clear that individuals with obesity have increased risk of morbidity and mortality from influenza infection. Unsurprisingly, this finding is also observed in the current COVID-19 pandemic: individuals with obesity, particularly severe obesity, have increased risk of poor outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infection, including increased rates of hospitalization, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and death. Several studies have now demonstrated a critical role for T cells in the context of obesity-associated immune dysfunction in response to viral infection, and one mechanism for this may be altered T cell metabolism. Indeed, recent studies have shown that activated T cells from obese mice have an altered metabolic profile characterized by increased glucose oxidation, both in vitro and in vivo following viral infection. For that reason, treatments that target abnormal immune cell metabolism in obesity may improve outcomes to viral infection. To that end, several recent studies have shown that use of the metabolic drug, metformin, can reverse abnormal T cell metabolism and restore T cell immunity, as well as survival, in response to viral infection. These findings will be discussed in detail here.
first_indexed 2024-04-11T10:28:16Z
format Article
id doaj.art-b6f912332ea749c196d9a566ba80654f
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1664-3224
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-11T10:28:16Z
publishDate 2022-10-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Immunology
spelling doaj.art-b6f912332ea749c196d9a566ba80654f2022-12-22T04:29:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242022-10-011310.3389/fimmu.2022.10254951025495Targeting T cell (oxidative) metabolism to improve immunity to viral infection in the context of obesityElizabeth Greene0Nancie J. MacIver1Nancie J. MacIver2Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United StatesDepartment of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United StatesDepartment of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United StatesDisorders of systemic metabolism can influence immunity. Individuals with obesity are known to have increased inflammation, increased risk to select autoimmune diseases, impaired response to several infections, and impaired vaccine response. For example, over the last decade, it has become clear that individuals with obesity have increased risk of morbidity and mortality from influenza infection. Unsurprisingly, this finding is also observed in the current COVID-19 pandemic: individuals with obesity, particularly severe obesity, have increased risk of poor outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infection, including increased rates of hospitalization, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and death. Several studies have now demonstrated a critical role for T cells in the context of obesity-associated immune dysfunction in response to viral infection, and one mechanism for this may be altered T cell metabolism. Indeed, recent studies have shown that activated T cells from obese mice have an altered metabolic profile characterized by increased glucose oxidation, both in vitro and in vivo following viral infection. For that reason, treatments that target abnormal immune cell metabolism in obesity may improve outcomes to viral infection. To that end, several recent studies have shown that use of the metabolic drug, metformin, can reverse abnormal T cell metabolism and restore T cell immunity, as well as survival, in response to viral infection. These findings will be discussed in detail here.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1025495/fullobesityinfluenzacoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)T cellsmetabolismmetformin
spellingShingle Elizabeth Greene
Nancie J. MacIver
Nancie J. MacIver
Targeting T cell (oxidative) metabolism to improve immunity to viral infection in the context of obesity
Frontiers in Immunology
obesity
influenza
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
T cells
metabolism
metformin
title Targeting T cell (oxidative) metabolism to improve immunity to viral infection in the context of obesity
title_full Targeting T cell (oxidative) metabolism to improve immunity to viral infection in the context of obesity
title_fullStr Targeting T cell (oxidative) metabolism to improve immunity to viral infection in the context of obesity
title_full_unstemmed Targeting T cell (oxidative) metabolism to improve immunity to viral infection in the context of obesity
title_short Targeting T cell (oxidative) metabolism to improve immunity to viral infection in the context of obesity
title_sort targeting t cell oxidative metabolism to improve immunity to viral infection in the context of obesity
topic obesity
influenza
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
T cells
metabolism
metformin
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1025495/full
work_keys_str_mv AT elizabethgreene targetingtcelloxidativemetabolismtoimproveimmunitytoviralinfectioninthecontextofobesity
AT nanciejmaciver targetingtcelloxidativemetabolismtoimproveimmunitytoviralinfectioninthecontextofobesity
AT nanciejmaciver targetingtcelloxidativemetabolismtoimproveimmunitytoviralinfectioninthecontextofobesity