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...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-10-01
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Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
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Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1025495/full |
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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 |
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