The immunometabolic network in obesity-associated insulin resistance: a systemic multi-organ and multi-cellular perspective.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing mechanistic literature without systematic review methodology or new empirical data.
PubMed 41864011 · doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2026.116528
What was done
This narrative review synthesized current literature on the multi-organ and cellular mechanisms connecting obesity-induced chronic low-grade inflammation (meta-inflammation) to insulin resistance. The authors summarized findings on innate and adaptive immune cell infiltration across adipose tissue, liver, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islets, and the central nervous system, alongside gut microbiota-mediated inter-organ communication and molecular signaling hubs (e.g., PI3K/AKT, MAPK, TLR4/NF-κB, NLRP3, AMPK/mTOR, and extracellular vesicles).
What was found
The abstract provides a qualitative overview of mechanistic pathways and reports no quantitative data, effect sizes, or study counts.
Why it matters
It provides a systemic framework shifting the understanding of obesity-related insulin resistance from isolated adipose dysfunction to a coordinated, multi-organ immunometabolic network with potential therapeutic targets.
Limits
The paper is a narrative review rather than a systematic review or meta-analysis, presenting potential search and selection bias. It provides no primary experimental or clinical data to independently evaluate specific claims or therapeutic efficacy.
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