Sahar Keshvari

Macrophage Therapeutic Potential in Paediatric Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Metabolic diseases, including obesity and its associated spectrum of pathologies, represent some the greatest health challenges we currently face. Macrophages, cells of the innate immune system, regulate many aspects of metabolism in health and disease. They form abundant resident populations in major metabolic tissues such as liver and fat, where they regulate energy homeostasis and prevent inflammation. But recruited or activated macrophages contribute to inflammation-driven metabolic maladaptation that is central to the development of metabolic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We have discovered that stimulating macrophages can induce liver growth and alter body composition – promoting increased lean mass, reduced fat mass and reduced liver fat. We hypothesise that macrophages are a component of the regulatory network that controls metabolic homeostasis, which has clear therapeutic implications for obesity and related pathologies. The proposed project forms part of the NHMRC Investigator Grant “Macrophage Therapeutic Potential in Paediatric Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease”. The aim of the project is to understand the role of the innate immune system in childhood obesity and fatty liver disease.