We investigate neuroimmune molecular mechanisms underlying obesity.
The Domingos laboratory researches neuroimmune mechanisms underlying obesity. They discovered the sympathetic neuro-adipose junction, a functional synapse-like connection between white adipocytes and the sympathetic nervous system (Cell 2015). They found that this neuro-adipose junction is necessary and sufficient for fat mass reduction via norepinephrine (NE) signaling (Cell 2015, Nature Comm 2017). They then discovered Sympathetic neuron-Associated Macrophages (SAMs) that directly import and metabolize NE. Abrogation of SAM function promotes long-term amelioration of obesity independently of food intake (Nature Medicine, 2017).
© Guttenplan, Kevin A. et al. (2018) Play It Again, SAM: Macrophages Control Peripheral Fat Metabolism, Trends in Immunology, and Conor A. Bradley (2017). Specialized macrophages contribute to obesity. Nature Reviews Endocrinology.
Our team
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Ana Domingos
Associate Professor of Neuroscience
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Lulu Jiang
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
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Chelsea Larabee
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Features
The paper, 'Sympathetic neuron-associated macrophages contribute to obesity by importing and metabolizing norepinephrine' has been featured in:
- Stefan Jung: Year in Review — Macrophages and monocytes in 2017: Macrophages and monocytes: of tortoises and hares. Nature Reviews Immunology 2017
- Conor A. Bradley (2017). Specialized macrophages contribute to obesity. Nature Reviews Endocrinology.
- Making Fat Mice Lean: Novel Immune Cells Control Neurons Responsible For Fat Breakdown. ScienMag.
- Wei Wong (14 Nov 2017). Fat expansion through norepinephrine catabolism. Editor's Choice, Science Signalling.
- Seth Thomas Scanlon (17 Nov 2017), Unusual macrophages contribute to obesity. Editor's Choice, Science
- Guttenplan, Kevin A. et al. (2018) Play It Again, SAM: Macrophages Control Peripheral Fat Metabolism, Trends in Immunology
- Michael P Czech (7 Nov 2017), Macrophages dispose of catecholamines in adipose tissue. Nature Medicine
The paper, 'Sympathetic neuro-adipose connections mediate leptin-driven lipolysis' has been featured in:
- Johan Ruud & Jens Bruening (2015). Metabolism: Light on leptin link to lipolysis. Nature
- Natasha Bray (2015). Zapping fat in WAT, Nature Reviews Neuroscience
- News and Views (2015). A closer look at the nerves that slim down your fat cells, Science
- Luis Varela, Tamas L. Horvath (2015). A Sympathetic View on Fat by Leptin, Cell
- Qingchun Tong (2015) Exceptional F1000 Physiology, Technical Advance
- Mark Bothwell (2015) Very Good F1000 Neuroscience, New Finding
In the media
Media coverage of Nature Medicine 2017, Nature Communications 2017, and Cell 2015:
Past Meetings
EMBO Meeting - Neural control of metabolism and eating behaviour
Check out some pictures from the event here.
Type 2 Immunity in Homeostasis and Disease - 21-22 February 2019
Upcoming Conferences
EMBO Workshop, Organ crosstalk in energy balance and metabolic disease, Sancti Petri, Chiclana, Cádiz, Spain, April 8-11 2019
Aegean Conferences, 4th International Conference on ImmunoMetabolism: Molecular and Cellular Immunology of Metabolism, Rhodes, Greece May 28 - June 2 2019
ICMS, 14th World Congress on Inflammation, Sydney, September 15-19 2019
Cell Symposia, Neuro-Immune Axis: Reciprocal Regulation in Development, Health and Disease, Long Beach, California, September 22-24 2019
Nature Conferences, Advances in Metabolic Communication, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October 15 - 18 2019