Dysregulation of lipid homeostasis causes the deposition of lipids in the form of tiny droplets within foamy macrophages (FMs). In FMs, host-derived lipids aid in survival of various intracellular pathogens leading to sustained infection. In several infectious diseases, the transformation of macrophages into a foamy phenotype is linked to the presence of high IL-10, a potent immune-modulatory cytokine. This review aims to understand the role of IL-10 in the signaling events that are crucial in generation of FMs and highlights how various intracellular pathogens targets the IL-10–FM axis for successful establishment of infections. The review also briefly discusses how the IL-10–FM axis can be a target for developing novel therapeutic strategies to prevent intracellular infections.



Summary

Dysregulation of lipid metabolism leads to lipid droplet accumulation in foamy macrophages (FMs), which some intracellular pathogens exploit for survival and sustained infection. This transformation of macrophages into FMs is often associated with elevated levels of the immune-modulatory cytokine IL-10. This review explores the role of IL-10 in the signaling pathways involved in FM formation, highlighting how various pathogens manipulate the IL-10–FM axis to establish infections. Targeting this axis may present novel therapeutic strategies for preventing intracellular infections.

This post is part of “Science/Immunology News”, Follow for more…!!!

Click on Source link for more details