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INFECTION

IFNγ — link between infections and cardiometabolic risk?

Viral infections induce muscle insulin resistance in mice through the stimulation of IFNγ. This results in increased insulin levels, which promote antiviral CD8+ T cell activation. In obese mice, insulin resistance triggered by IFNγ also leads to deterioration of glycaemic control. These findings highlight the intricate link between the immune system and metabolic regulation.

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Acknowledgements

The German Diabetes Center is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) and the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State North Rhine-Westphalia. The German Diabetes Center is also supported in part by a grant from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.).

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Correspondence to Christian Herder.

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Herder, C. IFNγ — link between infections and cardiometabolic risk?. Nat Rev Endocrinol 14, 567–568 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-018-0078-1

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