The immune system is highly energy-demanding, especially when robust activation and proliferation happen to maintain homeostasis of the human body, such as during acute viral infection and within tumor microenvironment. However, metabolism means much more than energy supply. Mitochondria, despite commonly recognized as the intracellular powerhouse, play vital roles in the production and release of signaling molecules. As semiautonomous organelle that contain their own genome and with protein synthesis pattern similar to prokaryote, mitochondria are the major sources of intracellular damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Mitochondrial biogenesis and morphological changes occur simultaneously with immune cell activation and function. For example, mitochondria fission and fusion are dominant in effector and memory T cells, respectively; Macrophages with a highly pro-inflammatory secretion pattern usually have a dampened mitochondrial TCA cycle and inhibited respiration chain. How this bacterial derived organelle orchestrates cell type specific immune responses is intriguing and a hot topic in immunometabolism. Meanwhile, immune cells with dysregulated metabolism are recognized to be key effectors in several autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Deciphering the role of abnormal mitochondria function in autoimmunity will provide novel avenues for therapeutic development.
This Research Topic aims to provide an overview of current advances in characterizing mitochondria in different types of immune cells, with a special focus on how mitochondria change morphologically and biochemically during the activation and differentiation of immune cells. It will also focus on how different mitochondrial signals determine the fate of diverse immune cell compartments and how mitochondria defects are related to abnormal immune responses, leading to the initiation and persistence of autoimmune diseases.
In this Research Topic, we welcome submissions of Original Research, Review, Minireview, Opinion and Methods articles that address, but are not limited to, the following subtopics:
1) Characterization of mitochondria dynamics and metabolism in different types of immune cells and immune-related stromal cells
2) Identification of novel mitochondrial DAMPs and their sensors and functions
3) The communication of mitochondria with other cellular organelles to mediate immune cell function
4) Epigenetic changes caused by mitochondrial metabolic intermediates in immune cells and the functional consequences
5) The reprograming of mitochondria fitness in the initiation and perpetuation of autoimmune diseases
6) New techniques to assess or intervene mitochondria metabolism and target mitochondria induced inflammation
The immune system is highly energy-demanding, especially when robust activation and proliferation happen to maintain homeostasis of the human body, such as during acute viral infection and within tumor microenvironment. However, metabolism means much more than energy supply. Mitochondria, despite commonly recognized as the intracellular powerhouse, play vital roles in the production and release of signaling molecules. As semiautonomous organelle that contain their own genome and with protein synthesis pattern similar to prokaryote, mitochondria are the major sources of intracellular damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Mitochondrial biogenesis and morphological changes occur simultaneously with immune cell activation and function. For example, mitochondria fission and fusion are dominant in effector and memory T cells, respectively; Macrophages with a highly pro-inflammatory secretion pattern usually have a dampened mitochondrial TCA cycle and inhibited respiration chain. How this bacterial derived organelle orchestrates cell type specific immune responses is intriguing and a hot topic in immunometabolism. Meanwhile, immune cells with dysregulated metabolism are recognized to be key effectors in several autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Deciphering the role of abnormal mitochondria function in autoimmunity will provide novel avenues for therapeutic development.
This Research Topic aims to provide an overview of current advances in characterizing mitochondria in different types of immune cells, with a special focus on how mitochondria change morphologically and biochemically during the activation and differentiation of immune cells. It will also focus on how different mitochondrial signals determine the fate of diverse immune cell compartments and how mitochondria defects are related to abnormal immune responses, leading to the initiation and persistence of autoimmune diseases.
In this Research Topic, we welcome submissions of Original Research, Review, Minireview, Opinion and Methods articles that address, but are not limited to, the following subtopics:
1) Characterization of mitochondria dynamics and metabolism in different types of immune cells and immune-related stromal cells
2) Identification of novel mitochondrial DAMPs and their sensors and functions
3) The communication of mitochondria with other cellular organelles to mediate immune cell function
4) Epigenetic changes caused by mitochondrial metabolic intermediates in immune cells and the functional consequences
5) The reprograming of mitochondria fitness in the initiation and perpetuation of autoimmune diseases
6) New techniques to assess or intervene mitochondria metabolism and target mitochondria induced inflammation