Obesity is becoming a global epidemic. It is a serious health threat because it is associated with many severe diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. The obesity-induced immune imbalance, which is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation, is a linker between obesity and its associated diseases. Obesity changes or remodels our immune system. In tissues and circulation, it alters the number, composition, and function of immune cells, as well as the expression and secretion of a variety of immune mediators. Some alterations are compensatory responses to the weight gain and are beneficial to restore homeostasis, while other alterations are pathological and lead to immune imbalance featured by local and systemic inflammation. In obesity, accumulation of inflammatory immune cells and overexpression of inflammatory factors occur originally in expanded adipose tissue and subsequently in other metabolic organs, resulting in chronic inflammation, metabolic dysregulation, and damage of multiple organs. Understanding the obesity-induced immune imbalance and how it impacts obesity-related complications is critical in preventing and treating these complications.
The goal of this Research Topic is to discuss the immune imbalance caused by obesity in different organs and the whole-body level focusing on pathogenic immune cells or signal mediators as well as to explore the mechanisms by which the obesity-induced immune imbalance damages target organs and promotes obesity-associated diseases.
Authors are welcome to submit Review and Original Research articles focusing on, but not limited to, the following subtopics:
1) Initiating process of obesity-induced chronic inflammation
2) Obesity-induced dysfunction of immune cells
3) Obesity-induced dysregulation of immune mediators
4) Immune profile in obese patients with certain complication(s)
5) Interplay between microbiota and immune system in obesity-associated diseases
5) Role of abnormal adaptive immune response in obesity-associated diseases
6) Role of abnormal innate immune response in obesity-associated diseases
7) Immunotherapy for obesity-associated diseases
Obesity is becoming a global epidemic. It is a serious health threat because it is associated with many severe diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. The obesity-induced immune imbalance, which is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation, is a linker between obesity and its associated diseases. Obesity changes or remodels our immune system. In tissues and circulation, it alters the number, composition, and function of immune cells, as well as the expression and secretion of a variety of immune mediators. Some alterations are compensatory responses to the weight gain and are beneficial to restore homeostasis, while other alterations are pathological and lead to immune imbalance featured by local and systemic inflammation. In obesity, accumulation of inflammatory immune cells and overexpression of inflammatory factors occur originally in expanded adipose tissue and subsequently in other metabolic organs, resulting in chronic inflammation, metabolic dysregulation, and damage of multiple organs. Understanding the obesity-induced immune imbalance and how it impacts obesity-related complications is critical in preventing and treating these complications.
The goal of this Research Topic is to discuss the immune imbalance caused by obesity in different organs and the whole-body level focusing on pathogenic immune cells or signal mediators as well as to explore the mechanisms by which the obesity-induced immune imbalance damages target organs and promotes obesity-associated diseases.
Authors are welcome to submit Review and Original Research articles focusing on, but not limited to, the following subtopics:
1) Initiating process of obesity-induced chronic inflammation
2) Obesity-induced dysfunction of immune cells
3) Obesity-induced dysregulation of immune mediators
4) Immune profile in obese patients with certain complication(s)
5) Interplay between microbiota and immune system in obesity-associated diseases
5) Role of abnormal adaptive immune response in obesity-associated diseases
6) Role of abnormal innate immune response in obesity-associated diseases
7) Immunotherapy for obesity-associated diseases
