Redefining Immunometabolism
Every stage of the immune response is tightly coupled to cellular metabolic processes. Over the past two decades, mitochondria have been the primary focus of immunometabolic research. Now, there is growing recognition that organelles other than mitochondria play equally vital, specialized roles in immunometabolism.

 

This includes the discovery that peroxisomes, essential metabolic organelles that govern very-long-chain fatty acid oxidation, ether lipid and plasmalogen synthesis, and redox turnover, also act as a crucial nexus between the immune and metabolic systems. Unlike mitochondria, peroxisomes uniquely control key steps of lipid metabolism that shape membrane composition and lipid-derived signaling, positioning them as a distinct and underappreciated metabolic hub in immune regulation.

We demonstrated that peroxisomes are required for immune cells to engulf pathogens, drive antimicrobial signaling, and maintain enteric immunological homeostasis. Our research program now aims to uncover metabolic signaling mechanisms that contribute to core immune processes and to better understand their role in pathological processes such as chronic inflammation, cancer, and neurodegeneration.