How inflammation in aging fat tissue affects sepsis
Role of adipose tissue inflammaging and metabolic dysfunction during sepsis
This project looks at whether inflammation in older people's belly fat makes sepsis more severe and disrupts the body's energy use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11238863 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are an older adult, the team is studying how immune cells in deep belly fat change with age and during severe infection using mouse models and tissue analyses. They trace signals from immune cells that block fat breakdown (lipolysis), which the body needs to fuel the response to infection. The researchers focus on specific inflammatory pathways, including the NLRP3 inflammasome and aged adipose B cells, to see how these changes affect survival after infection. Results could point to ways of reducing harmful fat-tissue inflammation to help older people better survive sepsis.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants for related future studies would be older adults at higher risk for sepsis or patients recovering from serious infections who might contribute clinical data or tissue samples.
Not a fit: Younger healthy people or those not at risk for sepsis are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this mechanistic research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to treatments that reduce fat-tissue inflammation and lower sepsis severity in older adults.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies, including the investigators' mouse experiments, have shown aged fat inflammation worsens infection outcomes, but therapies targeting this pathway in humans remain largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Camell, Christina — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Camell, Christina
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.