Obesity and Autoimmunity Epidemic: The Role of Immunometabolism

The relationship between obesity and autoimmune diseases has attracted significant attention in recent years, highlighting the multifaceted connection between metabolic dysregulation and loss of self-immune tolerance. Compelling epidemiological evidence has revealed an elevated prevalence of autoimmune diseases among overweight or obese individuals, suggesting a potential causal link. Mechanistically, adipose tissue is a key immunometabolic organ that secretes an array of adipocytokines that can facilitate proinflammatory immune responses against self-antigens. Indeed, adipose tissue dysfunction in obesity fosters a state of chronic low-grade inflammation, which may contribute to the so-called accelerator hypothesis, in which circulating self-autoreactive T cells can easily lose their regulatory mechanisms, resulting in self-tissue damage and autoinflammation. In this review, we elucidate the intricate immunometabolic pathomechanisms underlying the obesity and autoimmunity epidemic, and we explore innovative therapeutic avenues that could be pivotal for advancing public health initiatives in the context of this epidemic.