The worldwide prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions, not only in Western societies but also in developing countries. Among various pathophysiological underlying mechanisms, the obesity-associated meta-inflammation contributes to the development of insulin resistance, highlighting the role played by the immune system in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis. Helminth parasites are masters at manipulating host immune responses. Remarkably, landmark epidemiological and pre-clinical studies have recently reported that chronic infection could improve insulin sensitivity and glucose/lipid metabolism in both humans and rodent models of type 2 diabetes. During this seminar, I’ll present some of our recent works in the emerging field of immunometabolism and discuss the idea that modulation of immune response in metabolic organs, notably using parasite-derived molecules, could constitute an attractive new therapeutic approach for metabolic diseases.
Dr. Bruno Guigas is a molecular biologist with broad expertise in the pathophysiology of metabolic disorders. His research group is driving projects within the emerging field of immunometabolism aiming to identify new druggable molecules and/or molecular targets involved in the immune regulation of metabolic homeostasis in the context of obesity and type 2 diabetes. He has co-authored >80 publications and is a scientific advisor for various funding agencies and biotech companies.
