Growing evidence suggests that components of the innate immune system play a crucial role in regulating metabolic homeostasis. Macrophages were the primary immune cells to be described in both the white adipose tissue and the pancreatic islets. Therein, their functions, beneficial or detrimental, are extending under steady state and in the context of obesity-induced type 2 diabetes. Other populations, including innate lymphoid cells, are emerging as key sentinels of metabolic tissues and privileged partners of macrophages. The present review will thus explore the phenotype and the role of innate immune cells in metabolic physiology and dysfunction. Discussion will tackle pending questions and future perspectives in the field of immunometabolism.
Keywords: Diabetes; Immunity; Innate lymphoid cells; Insulin; Macrophages; Metabolism.