Metabolic characterization of ILCs under homeostatic or stress conditions.

ended

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are the most recently identified components of the innate immune system. ILCs colonize mainly mucosa-associated tissues and they have a crucial role in metabolic homeostasis, and defense against infections and cancer. ILCs are highly plastic and they rapidly shape their functional output in response to local environmental cues. Two ILC subsets (ILC2 and NK cells) have been respectively implicated in the maintenance of adipose tissue homeostasis and in the development of chronic inflammation in obese patients. It has been shown that cellular metabolism affects the development and function of adaptive lymphocytes. In contrast, very little is known about innate lymphocytes metabolic requirements under homeostatic conditions and how they metabolically adapt to environmental perturbations. This project will study metabolic profiles in human ILC subsets isolated from the bloodstream, lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues under healthy conditions and inflammatory disease states. Whole-genome transcriptomes, proteomes and metabolomes will be compared in order to decipher the pathways that regulate ILCs. A better understanding of the metabolic network that govern ILCs in steady state and how these cells “switch” their metabolism to exert their function, may ultimately reveal novel targets for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases and metabolic disorders, like obesity.