Projects

Our research explores how immune cells help regulate metabolism and how the body adapts to changes in nutrient availability. The following projects, led by Vedrana Jelenčić, investigate the role of immune cells in mobilizing stored fat and producing ketone bodies during fasting.

Immune Regulation of Fasting Lipolysis

Project code: IP-2026-8822
Funding: Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ)

Does the immune system help the body access stored fat during fasting?

When food is unavailable, the body breaks down fat stored in adipose tissue to supply energy to other organs. This process, known as lipolysis, is controlled largely by hormones. Whether immune cells also help regulate this response remains an open question.

This project investigates the role of natural killer (NK) cells and γδ T cells—two types of immune cells that recognize cellular stress—in fat mobilization during fasting. We will examine whether fasting generates stress signals in adipocytes (fat cells), how these signals are recognized by immune cells, and whether communication between these cells influences fat breakdown.

Research objectives

• Identify how NK cells and γδ T cells sense fasting-induced changes in adipose tissue.

• Determine whether these immune cells influence fat mobilization.

• Characterize the signals exchanged between immune cells and adipocytes.

Why it matters

Understanding how the immune system contributes to metabolic adaptation could reveal additional mechanisms that maintain energy balance during fasting. These findings may also inform future research into metabolic disorders, including obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Figure caption: Proposed immune regulation of fat mobilization during fasting. The project investigates whether NK cells and γδ T cells influence the breakdown of stored fat and the release of free fatty acids from adipose tissue.

Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.