Immunometabolism at the crossroads: Metabolic reprogramming and crosstalk in chronic diseases

Immunometabolism has profoundly elucidated the central role of metabolism in regulating immune responses. Metabolism not only serves as the foundation for energy supply in immune cells but also acts as a key regulatory determinant of their phenotype, function, and biological processes. Emerging studies demonstrate that intracellular metabolic reprogramming can modulate the activation and differentiation of immune cells, while extracellular metabolic crosstalk endows immune cells with functional adaptations to specific niches. Consequently, a close interplay and multiple evolutionarily conserved regulatory mechanisms exist between the immune and metabolic systems. This dynamic balance is crucial for maintaining systemic homeostasis, and its disruption is closely associated with the development of various inflammatory diseases, such as metabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Although recent years have witnessed a deeper understanding of the metabolic regulation of immune cells in inflammatory diseases, specific metabolic targets and their translational potential remain to be fully elucidated.In this Research Topic, we aim to shed light on how intracellular metabolic pathways and extracellular metabolite alterations, shaped by intercellular crosstalk, interorgan communication, and systemic circulation, reprogram the function of immune cells and thereby modulate the progression of chronic inflammatory diseases and their complications, such as metabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. In addition, studies presenting advanced omics methods will be encouraged to reveal novel metabolic signatures and targets in chronic inflammatory conditions.We welcome submissions of Original Research Articles, Resources, Mini-reviews, and Systematic Reviews, including, but not limited to, the following areas:- Screening and validation of metabolic biomarkers implicated in immune regulation, with prognostic and predictive value for disease progression and clinical outcomes.- Identification of dysfunctional metabolic pathways or enzymes in immune cells that constitute actionable intervention targets in the setting of chronic inflammatory disorders.- Molecular mechanisms underlying the modulation of immune cell function contributing to disease progression by metabolic signals derived from other cell types within the local niche, as well as distal organs via systemic circulation.- Translational therapeutic strategies targeting immunometabolism to alleviate symptoms, improve clinical outcomes, or reverse disease progression.- Innovative technologies to unveil the spatiotemporal variation of immune cell metabolism across different tissue microenvironments and disease stages.By bringing together work across these themes, this Research Topic will provide a comprehensive platform to advance our understanding of immunometabolism and its translational potential.Please note that manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by robust and relevant validation (clinical cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this Research Topic. Topic editors: Zhexu Chi, Emanuele Berardi, Zhenqiang Yao Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78084/immunometabolism-at-the-crossroads-metabolic-reprogramming-and-crosstalk-in-chronic-diseases