Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Isolation of Murine Lymph Node Stromal Cells
Published on: August 19, 2014
Could pathogens be nutrients for lymphoid cells?
1Baskent University Medical Faculty, Department of Histology and Embryology, 06510 Etimesgut, Ankara, Turkey. drnacar@baskent.edu.tr
Abstract:
Metabolic and immune systems are very important for a living organism to survive. Since they play crucial roles in maintaining homeostasis, both systems work interdependently. In metabolic disorders like obesity and related diseases, lot of reports have been published about immune system impairment. In addition, in the case of malnutrition and calorie restriction, immune system is affected through several mechanisms. Different from the current point of view, I propose an unusual way of thinking about the relationship between immune and metabolic systems. The nutrient-based ecosystemic balance; the simple desires and rules like feeding or reproduction underlying very complex relations among species; the beneficial effects of caloric restriction; and the similarities between the pathways contributing obesity and infection made me look from a different perspective. Based on ecology and systems thinking, the present hypotheses suggest that pathologic organisms could be a kind of dietary source for lymphoid cells. If it is true, it will bring new and hopeful insights to all events related to metabolic and immune systems. At first, new mechanisms could be improved to defeat unbeatable organisms like Mycobacterium tuberculosis or HIV. The unphagocytosed organisms could be unknown tastes for our body's defenders. For example, the lymphoid cells could be classified as virovores, bacterivores, or fungivores like herbivores, and carnivores. Secondly, this basic relation could be used to solve huge problems caused by obesity related disorders like diabetes, because insulin would play more important roles for lymphoid cells while regulating the blood glucose level if the hypothesis is true. And the persistence of hyperglycemia would mainly effect lymphoid cells according to the current hypothesis.
Related Concept Videos
Functions of the Lymphatic and Immune System
The primary lymphoid organs, including the bone marrow and the thymus, serve as the maturation sites for lymphocytes. Secondary lymphoid organs, like the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, activate these lymphocytes and serve as...
Lymphoid Cells and Tissues
Lymphoid cells consist of various types of immune system cells. These include B and T lymphocytes, which are responsible for producing antibodies and killing infected cells, respectively. Dendritic cells act as messengers between the innate and adaptive...
Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens
Phagocytes
Phagocytes are the frontline soldiers of the immune system. They include neutrophils and macrophages. Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cell and are quickly mobilized to the site of infection. Macrophages are larger cells that patrol...
Colonisation of Pathogens
Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response
Introduction to Lymphatic and Immune System
The immune responses can be categorized into two types: innate and adaptive. Innate immunity comprises nonspecific defenses we are born...

