JAK/STAT mediated insulin resistance in muscles is essential for effective immune response

Insulin resistance has largely been seen as pathological, most often associated with diabetes. However, the conserved nature of insulin resistance suggests it may play an important role in the fitness of the organism. The theoretical concept of selfish immunity characterizes insulin resistance as vital mechanism to ensure immunes cells receive sufficient nutrients, by suppressing insulin signaling, and thus nutrient consumption in other tissues. However, up until now, experimental evidence validating this concept has been sorely lacking. A publication by Ellen McMullen and the group of Tomas Dolezal in the journal Cell Communication and Signaling is only the second to test this concept in a Drosophila model, showing that acute insulin resistance is in fact a beneficial metabolic program that is required for an effective immune response, only becoming pathology in the chronic state.

McMullen, E., Strych, L., Chodakova, L., Krebs, A., Dolezel, T. JAK/STAT mediated insulin resistance in muscles is essential for effective immune response. Cell Commun Signal 22, 203 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12964-024-01575-0

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Image credit: Ellen McMullen