Exploring Sex-Specific Immune Pathways in Metabolic Disease Pathogenesis

The study of immune responses in metabolic diseases—including obesity, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, metabolic syndrome, and related cardiometabolic disorders—is rapidly expanding due to the increasing global burden and complexity of these conditions. Chronic low-grade inflammation and immune dysregulation are now recognized as central drivers of disease progression and complications. Despite growing recognition of sex differences in immunity, their integration into metabolic disease research and clinical practice remains limited.Accumulating evidence demonstrates that biological sex significantly shapes immune profiles, inflammatory pathways, and clinical outcomes in metabolic diseases. Sex hormones, sex chromosomes, and genetic background contribute to these differences, influencing disease susceptibility, progression, and responses to therapy. However, the field remains fragmented, with important gaps in our mechanistic understanding—particularly regarding how biological sex interacts with environmental, social, and behavioral determinants to drive disparities in disease burden.This Research Topic aims to bridge these gaps by advancing a comprehensive and integrative understanding of how sex modulates immune responses in metabolic diseases across the lifespan and in diverse populations. We seek to elucidate the mechanisms by which sex-specific factors—including hormonal regulation, chromosomal composition, and immunometabolic processes—shape immune cell function, inflammatory signaling, and metabolic outcomes.By bringing together mechanistic, translational, clinical, and population-level research, this collection aims to address key questions related to disease susceptibility, clinical presentation, progression, complications, and therapeutic responses from a sex-informed perspective. Particular emphasis will be placed on the intersection of biological sex with social determinants of health, healthcare access, and population-level risk factors.We welcome contributions from studies in humans and animal models, that provide novel insights into the immune mechanisms underlying metabolic diseases through the lens of sex differences. Submissions may include, but are not limited to, the following themes:• Roles of sex hormones, chromosomes, and genetics in immune–metabolic regulation• Sex differences in immunometabolism, adipose tissue inflammation, and metabolic complications• Immune mechanisms driving disease progression and comorbidities from a sex-informed perspective• Sex differences in therapeutic responses and clinical outcomes in metabolic diseases• Impact of lifestyle, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and environmental factors on sex-related immune responses• Translation of sex-specific immune insights into precision medicine, biomarkers, and targeted therapiesWe welcome original research articles, clinical studies, translational investigations, epidemiological analyses, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Studies advancing sex-aware and precision approaches to metabolic disease prevention and management are especially encouraged. Topic editors: Rosa Casas Rodriguez, Garyfallia Kapravelou Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/68741/exploring-sex-specific-immune-pathways-in-metabolic-disease-pathogenesis