Starving for survival-how catabolic metabolism fuels immune function

- Disruption of homeostasis accompanies infections, induced by the invading microorganism or driven by the host.
- Such disruption can be in favor of the host or in favor of the invading pathogen.
- Catabolic metabolism is a hallmark of many diseases including infections and has the potential to remodel immune cell metabolism and function.

Infections disturb homeostasis and often induce a switch to catabolic organismal metabolism. During catabolism, increased systemic availability of glucose, fatty acids and ketone bodies is observed, and recent evidence indicates that these metabolites might serve an immunomodulatory function. However, whereas our understanding of direct pathogen recognition by the host immune system is quite detailed, much less is known about the immunobiology of the metabolic host response to infection. In this review article we briefly discuss how pathogens induce 'dys-homeostasis' systemically, locally, and within cells, and provide examples of how such changes can shape immune-functionality during the course of an infection.