About this Research Topic
In recent years the accumulation of patients with metabolic diseases has caused significant public health burdens. Metabolic diseases are a cluster of diseases associated with metabolic dysregulation in various tissues, such as obesity, diabetes, hereditary hemochromatosis, cystic fibrosis, etc. The pathogenesis of metabolic diseases is largely unknown, which includes a complex of genetic drivers and overlapping molecular pathways. Recent investigations suggest that metabolic diseases are associated with abnormal immune systems, mostly appearing as chronic inflammation, which is due to result in abnormal metabolism in both general levels and local tissues. Specifically, the metabolic changes (e.g., energy metabolism, glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, etc.) have been found to directly regulate immune cell differentiation, function, polarization, etc, whereas the detailed cellular and molecular mechanisms under these phenomena are not clear yet, which is the gap we plan to fill via the current research topic.
The current topic aims to investigate the interplay between endocrine and immune systems in metabolic diseases. Specifically, the interplay between cells from endocrine and immune systems, how the interplay leads to metabolic changes in immune cells, how these metabolic changes affect the function/differentiation/polarization of immune cells, and how these abnormal immune cells result in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases, will be investigated, including the underlying molecular mechanisms. It is expected that through this research topic, a deeper understanding and new knowledge of the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases will be achieved. In addition, potential therapeutical approaches to target the endocrine-immune interplay are proposed, which can shed light on the treatment of metabolic diseases in the future.
The scope of the current topic includes but is not limited to:
- the cellular interplay between endocrine and immune systems;
- the role of endocrine-immune interplay in the metabolic changes of immune cells;
- the link between metabolic changes to function/differentiation/polarization of immune cells;
- the role of immune cells with metabolic changes in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases;
- potential therapeutical approaches to target the endocrine-immune interplay.
Some of the preferred specific sub-themes include:
- cellular and molecular mechanisms under the endocrine-immune interplay;
- immunometabolism;
- therapeutic strategies/approaches to target the endocrine-immune interplay.
Topic Editors welcome original research papers, reviews, and mini-reviews.
Keywords: endocrinology, immunology, metabolic diseases, immunoregulation, metabolism
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