Immunology and Cell Biology - Viruses chew the fat: Antiviral responses in adipocytes

The study by Yu et al. (see link below) reports that not only immune cells, but also adipocytes, which are important cells in the body’s metabolic state, and their precursor cells express antiviral PRRs such as TLR3, MDA5 and RIG- I, which can respond to cognate ligands by producing IL6, TNFα and
type I IFNs. However, stimulation of pre-adipocytes, while generating a strong immune response, inhibits their differentiation into mature adipocytes and decreases the production of adipokines such as leptin, adiponectin and resistin, which are known to modulate immune functions
and metabolism.

The context of this study is important because reciprocal associations between viral infection and
obesity have been implied in the past (infection affecting weight gain or obesity predisposing to infection).

Pattern recognition receptor-initiated innate antiviral response in mouse adipose cells