Maintaining body weight isnt as simple as burning off all the calories eaten in a day. The brain plays an important role. It determines what you eat, how much and when. And the brains immune cells contribute, too, a new study in mice shows. Turning on these cells can make a fatty diet more fattening. Getting rid of those cells, known as microglia, can make the animals eat less and gain less weight.
These microglia caninflamea particular area of the brain. And in mice, this process could make the animals gain weight even when they werent eating a fatty diet.
I think its really neat, says Kate Ellacott, who was not involved in the study. This is the first time anyones shown if you change the way microglia can behave if you make them more inflammatory you can impact bodyweight. Ellacott is a neuroscientist, someone who studies the brain, at the University of Exeter in England.
The immune system is a collection of cells that can move throughout the body to help fight infection and damage. When a part of the body is stressed or injured, the hurt part sends out chemical distress calls. Those messages are like an alarm. They tell immune cells where to swoop inso that they can destroy damaged cells or gobble up germs.
Along the way, immune cells cause inflammation. This response can include redness and swelling. People often think of inflammation as a swollen knee or the redness surrounding a cut. Here, Ellacott points out, the immune system works to restore balance. The immune system tries to repair tissues and get back to normal, she explains.
But sometimes, inflammation sticks around for the long term, even when its not supposed to. Such chronic inflammation does not have to include redness. But it will cause harm. If you have a disease where inflammation never goes away, you can get damage to the tissue, she points out.
One condition where chronic inflammation occurs is obesity. Eating a high-fat diet for a while makes animals gain weight and activates their immune cells, says Joshua Thaler. Hes an endocrinologist (someone who studies the hormones in the body) and a neuroscientist. He works at the University of Washington in Seattle.There,his team performed the new study.
The brain is full of cells called neurons. But they arent alone. A variety of other cell types live there too, Thaler notes. For a while, scientists thought some of these cells, called glia (GLEE-ah), were just there to support neurons and to hold them together. (In fact, glia comes from the Greek word for glue.) But glia are far more than just brain glue. Some of them, called microglia, act as an immune army in the brain. They move into injured areas and can turn on inflammation when things go wrong.
Microglia cells, like the one shown here, can become activated by a high fat diet. Afterward, it can foster a state of chronic inflammation in the brain.
TimoninaIryna/istockphoto
Thalers team already had found that one brain area gets inflamed when mice eat a high-fat diet. Called the hypothalamus, this brain area helps to regulate how much mice and people eat. They even showed similar changes in the brains of people with obesity.
Could the microglia in the hypothalamus be the reason why? To find out, Thaler and his colleagues fed high-fat diets to more mice. Then they gave some of these mice a drug that killed off microglia. Without these immune cells, those mice gained less weight and ate less food. But losing their microglia had no effect on mice dining on low-fat chow.
The researchers wanted to make sure microglia were causing the inflammation that led to weight gain. So they deleted a gene a set of cellular instructions. Microglia use this gene to make their inflammatory signals. Thetreated mice gained less weight on a high-fat diet, just as in themice with no microglia at all.
If stopping inflammatory signals made mice gain less weight, more inflammation might have the opposite effect. Thalers group decided to test that idea. They worked with mice that were unable to make an important inflammation-fighting molecule. These mice developed inflammation in their brains. They also gained weight even when they werent on a high-fat diet! That confirmed that brain inflammation alone could contribute to obesity.
Thaler and his colleagues published their findings July 5 in the journal Cell Metabolism.
Calling in the immune cavalry
Microglia are full-time brain residents. Theyre always there, Ellacott says. These cells move to wherever the brain needs them.
When mice eat a high-fat diet, the hypothalamus recruits microglia. And these immune cells then call for backup. In the new study, some of those backup immune cells had come from a mouses bone marrow.
Usually, immune cells in the marrow cant reach the brain. Theres a barrier between the blood and the brain that stops them. That blood-brain barrier exists to keep potentially dangerous cells and other foreign substances from getting in.
Somehow, a high-fat diet let those marrow-based backup cells break into the brain.
Some scientists had seen immune cells getting into other organs after a high-fat diet, Thaler notes. But his group has now shown it also happens in the brain. I was not a believer that the [immune cells] were going to come marching into the brain, he recalls, so it was a bit of a surprise.
Scientists might someday be able to reduce inflammation by targeting the microglia, Ellacott says. If they can develop a drug that works this way in people, scientists might use it to treat all types of brain diseases linked with inflammation, not just obesity.
Microglia in the brain may contribute to weight gain, Thaler says. But clearly they arent the whole story. Turning off the microglia, or stopping them from sending inflammatory distress calls, causes mice to gain less weight. But in the end, those mice still became overweight. And while mice with brain inflammation gained weight on even a low-fat diet, he notes that they never got as fat as did the mice downing high-fat chow.
The brains immune system may be a part of the obesity story, Thaler says, but theres clearly more we need to learn.
Visit link:
Brain's immune system can play role in weight gain - Science News for Students
- Technion team discovers important adaptive strategy of the microbiome, impacting immune system - The Jerusalem Post - April 16th, 2024
- Targeting aging and age-related diseases with vaccines - Nature.com - April 16th, 2024
- Single cell analysis unveils B cell-dominated immune subtypes in HNSCC for enhanced prognostic and therapeutic ... - Nature.com - April 16th, 2024
- After the Smoke Clears: Scars on the Immune System - The Scientist - April 16th, 2024
- Exercise and the Immune System: What's the Latest Research? - Technology Networks - April 16th, 2024
- Analysis of immune cell infiltration characteristics in severe acute pancreatitis through integrated bioinformatics ... - Nature.com - April 16th, 2024
- Vaccination impairs de novo immune response to omicron breakthrough infection, a precondition for the original ... - Nature.com - April 16th, 2024
- Harnessing the power of the body's own cells to defeat cancer - Press Publications Inc. - April 16th, 2024
- Best Life: Immunotherapy targets brain cancer - Action News 5 - April 16th, 2024
- Dietary factors and their influence on immunotherapy strategies in oncology: a comprehensive review | Cell Death ... - Nature.com - April 16th, 2024
- New insights on B cells: Researchers explore building better antibodies and curbing autoimmune diseases - Medical Xpress - April 16th, 2024
- Immune cells' intense reaction to the coronavirus may lead to pneumonia - Science News Magazine - April 16th, 2024
- The telltale traces long Covid leaves in the blood - healthcare-in-europe.com - April 16th, 2024
- Overview of the Immune System - The Merck Manuals - March 18th, 2024
- SUNDAY Unraveling The Gut-Brain Connection: How Infant Gut Bacteria Shape Immune Resilience | TheHealthSit - TheHealthSite - March 18th, 2024
- Making drugs from T cells: The quantitative pharmacology of engineered T cell therapeutics | npj Systems Biology and ... - Nature.com - March 18th, 2024
- Study unlocks the mystery of neonatal neutropenia in newborns - News-Medical.Net - March 18th, 2024
- Vertebral Subluxation and Systems Biology: An Integrative Review Exploring the Salutogenic Influence of Chiropractic ... - Cureus - March 18th, 2024
- A new strategy to attack aggressive brain cancer shrank tumors in two early tests - ABC News - March 18th, 2024
- Turning on the Bat Signal - The Scientist - March 18th, 2024
- Power Foods That Can Support Your Immune System - Videos from The Weather Channel - The Weather Channel - March 18th, 2024
- Report: Aggressive brain tumors respond to new, immune-focused therapy - UPI News - March 18th, 2024
- Designer immune-cell therapy could shrink deadly brain tumors, early trials show - Livescience.com - March 18th, 2024
- 20.2: Introduction to the Immune System - Biology LibreTexts - February 27th, 2024
- Can one shot of yoghurt really boost your immunity and gut health? - Daily Mail - February 27th, 2024
- New cancer therapy approved by FDA supercharges bodys immune system - The Washington Post - February 27th, 2024
- How bubonic plague rewired the human immune system - BBC.com - February 27th, 2024
- Innovative therapy targets and destroys leukemia stem cells - News-Medical.Net - February 27th, 2024
- Participate in Our Study for $100; Open Slots This Week - University of Arkansas Newswire - February 27th, 2024
- Sexual dimorphism during integrative endocrine and immune responses to ionizing radiation in mice | Scientific Reports - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Comprehensive pan-cancer analysis identifies the RNA-binding protein LRPPRC as a novel prognostic and immune ... - ScienceDirect.com - February 27th, 2024
- YOUR HEALTH: The HAMR fights cancer - WAFB - February 27th, 2024
- Cycles of a diet that mimics fasting can reduce signs of immune system aging, as well as insulin resistance and liver fat - News-Medical.Net - February 27th, 2024
- How the powerhouse of the cell could be cancers Achilles heel - Freethink - February 27th, 2024
- Food is medicine: The science behind zinc and other supplements for immune health - Healio - February 27th, 2024
- Unleashing Our Immune Response to Quash Cancer - Medscape - February 27th, 2024
- Tumor histoculture captures the dynamic interactions between tumor and immune components in response to anti-PD1 ... - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Converging and evolving immuno-genomic routes toward immune escape in breast cancer - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Sanjula Jain Urges a Comprehensive Approach in Address Alarming Rise in Cancer Cases Among Younger Populations - Managed Healthcare Executive - February 27th, 2024
- Cystic fibrosis breakthrough points to zinc as infection buster - New Atlas - February 27th, 2024
- Exploring synergies between B- and T-cell vaccine approaches to optimize immune responses against HIVworkshop ... - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Is the 100-year old TB vaccine a new weapon against Alzheimers? - The Guardian - February 27th, 2024
- Immune system in the blood of Alzheimer's patients found to be epigenetically altered - News-Medical.Net - February 10th, 2024
- What impact does exercise have on your immune system? And how to stay well while cycling - BikeRadar - February 10th, 2024
- Had COVID recently? Here's what to know about how long immunity lasts, long COVID, and more - AAMC - February 10th, 2024
- Noor Momin harnesses the immune system to treat heart disease | Penn Today - Penn Today - February 10th, 2024
- Research reveals a process tumors use to induce immune suppressor cells and evade immunotherapy - Medical Xpress - February 10th, 2024
- Immune targeting of HIV-1 reservoir cells: a path to elimination strategies and cure - Nature.com - February 10th, 2024
- Preventing severe allergic reactions with nanoparticles - National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov) - February 10th, 2024
- Sugary handshakes are how cells talk to each other understanding these name tags can clarify how the immune ... - The Conversation Indonesia - February 10th, 2024
- Scientists have identified an immune cell that can cause allergies - EL PAS USA - February 10th, 2024
- Sickle cell and the importance of the immune system - Punch Newspapers - February 10th, 2024
- Which cancers can be treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors? - MD Anderson Cancer Center - February 10th, 2024
- How does waste leave the brain? Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - February 10th, 2024
- Healthy Kids: Give your immune system a boost to stay healthy this winter - nbc16.com - February 10th, 2024
- The impact of prior exposure to hypoglycaemia on the inflammatory response to a subsequent hypoglycaemic episode ... - Cardiovascular Diabetology - February 10th, 2024
- Impact of Chronic Stress on Immune System and Depression | Health News - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- I tried 'swamp soup,' the viral recipe that promises to boost your immune system - Yahoo News - February 10th, 2024
- Understanding Immune Checkpoint Inhibition Therapy: Challenges and Strategies - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- One Simple Change May Dramatically Boost The Effect of COVID-19 Vaccines - ScienceAlert - February 10th, 2024
- The gut virome is associated with stress-induced changes in behaviour and immune responses in mice - Nature.com - February 10th, 2024
- Cancer vaccines are in the works to fight BRCA-linked gene mutations - The Philadelphia Inquirer - February 10th, 2024
- What are the organs of the immune system? - InformedHealth.org - NCBI ... - January 17th, 2024
- Novel insights into the immune response to bacterial T cell superantigens - Nature.com - January 17th, 2024
- FDA signs off on Takeda's HyQvia as maintenance therapy for CIDP - FiercePharma - January 17th, 2024
- CBDs Pobezinsky and Pobezinskaya Use Flow Cytometry to Determine How Tumor Cells Outwit the Bodys Immune ... - UMass News and Media Relations - January 17th, 2024
- Boosting. What To Do. - Science Based Medicine - January 17th, 2024
- Axelia Oncology takes its TLR2/6 agonist into the clinic to harness the innate immune system - BioWorld Online - January 17th, 2024
- Long COVID manifests with T cell dysregulation, inflammation and an uncoordinated adaptive immune response to ... - Nature.com - January 17th, 2024
- Opinion | Thanks to mRNA, Future Drugs Will Be Easier and Faster to Make - Mississippi Free Press - January 17th, 2024
- Elon research team models the COVID immune response, one equation at a time - Today at Elon - January 17th, 2024
- Are plant-based meals good for your immune system? 4 things to know about improving your health this week. - Yahoo Life - January 17th, 2024
- Scientists Find Key To Potential Breast Cancer Prevention, Treatment | Newsroom - UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine - January 17th, 2024
- What if every germ hit you at the exact same time? An immunologist explains - The Conversation - January 17th, 2024
- Why Don't We Have a Staph Vaccine? - Healthnews.com - January 17th, 2024
- Best ways to improve your immune system - The Business Standard - January 17th, 2024
- Stanford University researchers think future pandemics could be prevented with universal vaccines - KGO-TV - January 17th, 2024
- Why you may feel depressed and anxious when you're ill and how to cope with it - The Conversation - January 17th, 2024
- New mechanism with potential to boost checkpoint-blocking cancer immunotherapies identified - Medical Xpress - January 17th, 2024
- Battling Bugs and Blues: The Interplay of Infection and Emotion - News-Medical.Net - January 17th, 2024