The Intestinal Immune System in Obesity and Insulin Resistance

Daniel A Winer; Helen Luck; Sue Tsai; Shawn Winer

doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2016.01.003

The Intestinal Immune System in Obesity and Insulin Resistance

Cell Metab. 2016 Mar 8;23(3):413-26. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2016.01.003. Epub 2016 Feb 4.

Authors

Daniel A Winer¹, Helen Luck², Sue Tsai³, Shawn Winer⁴

Affiliations

¹ Diabetes Research Group, Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Pathology, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada. Electronic address: dan.winer@uhn.ca.
² Diabetes Research Group, Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
³ Diabetes Research Group, Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
⁴ Diabetes Research Group, Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada. Electronic address: shawn.winer@utoronto.ca.

PMID: 26853748
DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2016.01.003

Abstract

Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with chronic inflammation in metabolic tissues such as adipose tissue and the liver. Recently, growing evidence has implicated the intestinal immune system as an important contributor to metabolic disease. Obesity predisposes to altered intestinal immunity and is associated with changes to the gut microbiota, intestinal barrier function, gut-residing innate and adaptive immune cells, and oral tolerance to luminal antigens. Accordingly, the gut immune system may represent a novel therapeutic target for systemic inflammation in insulin resistance. This review discusses the emerging field of intestinal immunity in obesity-related insulin resistance and how it affects metabolic disease.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Adaptive Immunity
Animals
Gastrointestinal Tract / metabolism
Humans
Immunity, Innate
Insulin Resistance / immunology*
Microbiota / immunology
Obesity / immunology*
Obesity / metabolism
Obesity / microbiology

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding