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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
07:46
Isolation, Characterization, and Purification of Macrophages from Tissues Affected by Obesity-related Inflammation
Published on: April 3, 2017
Inflammation and metabolic disorders
1Department of Genetics & Complex Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. ghotamis@hsph.harvard.edu
Nature
|December 15, 2006
Summary
The metabolic and immune systems are closely linked for survival. Their integrated function is crucial for homeostasis; dysfunction contributes to chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes.
Area of Science:
- Integrative biology
- Physiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Metabolic and immune systems are essential for survival.
- Conserved nutrient- and pathogen-sensing pathways exist across species.
- These systems are highly integrated, with mutual dependence for proper function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical interface between metabolic and immune systems.
- To underscore the role of this interface in maintaining homeostasis.
- To connect dysfunction in this interface to chronic metabolic disorders.
Main Methods:
- This study is a review and conceptual analysis.
- It synthesizes existing knowledge on metabolic-immune interactions.
- No new experimental data was generated.
Main Results:
- The metabolic and immune systems are fundamentally intertwined.
- This integration acts as a central homeostatic mechanism.
- Dysregulation at this interface is linked to major chronic diseases.
Conclusions:
- The metabolic-immune axis is vital for health.
- Disruptions in this axis are a significant driver of metabolic diseases.
- Understanding this interface is key to addressing global health threats.
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