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Investigating immunometabolic compounds in obesity driven inflammation

Obesity is a major problem both in Ireland and worldwide, with one in four Irish adults registering as obese and these rates are predicted to increase. Obesity is now the number one cause of preventable death, this is because obesity is strongly linked to diseases such as type II diabetes (T2D), heart disease and many cancers. Many studies have shown that obesity related inflammation is a major contributor to these related diseases. An immune cell called the Macrophage is one of the major producers of inflammation in obesity. Macrophages in obesity produce inflammatory proteins such as TNF-alpha and IL-1beta which can stop insulin working and damage tissues leading to diseases like T2D. Recent studies have shown that metabolism pathways directly controls the macrophage. In this project I will investigate macrophage metabolism in lean and obese patients using state of the art techniques such as Seahorse analysis, PCR and multi-colour flow cytometry. I will investigate if modulating macrophage metabolism using specific metabolites such as succinate or itaconate can impact on obesity driven inflammation. These studies will help shed light on why macrophages are inflammatory in obesity and may identify novel targets for tackling inflammation in obesity.