Fatty acid oxidation on host survival in viral infection

Disciplines

Clinical Medicine (40%); Medical-Theoretical Sciences, Pharmacy (60%)

Keywords

Infection, Immunometabolism, Virus, Energy Metabolism, Pathology, Fatty Acids

Abstract

Energy metabolism is a fundamental process crucial to maintain homeostasis. During infection, numerous inflammatory and metabolic host changes affect the uptake, storage, distribution and consumption of energy. The exact molecular and cellular mechanisms as well as the contribution of nutrition remain poorly understood. In this project we will study the role of fatty acid oxidation in different pathophysiologically-relevant infection models and employ a range of immunological, metabolic and pharmacological approaches to dissect the complex immunometabolic processes underlying the adaptive management of energy in the whole organism. We thereby expect to provide important contributions to the field of systemic immunometabolism and the pathophysiology of infectious and inflammatory diseases.