Diabetes and pulmonary infection:how hyperglycaemia shapes the immune system

In a recent study published in Nature,Nobs and colleagues aimed to identify novel mechanisms that may explain why diabetes is associated with an increased susceptibility to viral respiratory infections.Their analyses revealed a central role of lung dendritic cells(DC)which exhibited several functional defects induced by hyperglycaemia and consequently result in impaired antiviral immune responses.

Highlights of the 2nd International Symposium on Tribbles and Diseases: tribbles tremble in therapeutics for immunity, metabolism, fundamental cell biology and cancer

The Tribbles(TRIB) family of pseudokinase proteins has been shown to play key roles in cell cycle, metabolic diseases, chronic inflammatory disease, and cancer development. A better understanding of the mechanisms of TRIB pseudokinases could provide new insights for disease development and help promote TRIB proteins as novel therapeutic targets for drug discovery. At the 2 nd International Symposium on Tribbles and Diseases held on May 7–9, 2018 in Beijing, China, a group of leading Tribbles scientists reported their findings and ongoing studies about the effects of the different TRIB proteins in the areas of immunity, metabolism, fundamental cell biology and cancer. Here, we summarize important and insightful overviews from 4 keynote lectures, 13 plenary lectures and 8 short talks that took place during this meeting. These findings may offer new insights for the understanding of the roles of TRIB pseudokinases in the development of various diseases.

Dysfunction of the adhesion G protein-coupled receptor latrophilin 1(ADGRL1/LPHN1)increases the risk of obesity

Obesity is one of the diseases with severe health consequences and rapidly increasing worldwide prevalence.Understanding the complex network of food intake and energy balance regulation is an essential prerequisite for pharmacological intervention with obesity.G protein-coupled receptors(GPCRs)are among the main modulators of metabolism and energy balance.They,for instance,regulate appetite and satiety in certain hypothalamic neurons,as well as glucose and lipid metabolism and hormone secretion from adipocytes.Mutations in some GPCRs,such as the melanocortin receptor type 4(MC4R),have been associated with early-onset obesity.Here,we identified the adhesion GPCR latrophilin 1(ADGRL1/LPHN1)as a member of the regulating network governing food intake and the maintenance of energy balance.Deficiency of the highly conserved receptor in mice results in increased food consumption and severe obesity,accompanied by dysregulation of glucose homeostasis.Consistently,we identified a partially inactivating mutation in human ADGRL1/LPHN1 in a patient suffering from obesity.Therefore,we propose that LPHN1 dysfunction is a risk factor for obesity development.