IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-Mechanisms that support obesity-associated inflammation in human prediabetes

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Video Summary

The speaker thanked sponsors and introduced research on inflammation in human obesity, prediabetes, and aging. The talk emphasized that people are now aging in the context of obesity, making this a new and important global health problem. <br /><br />Using human immune cells, the team compared inflammatory profiles in lean individuals versus people with obesity, finding that aging-related inflammation differs greatly depending on obesity status. In lean people, aging was associated with a Th17-type inflammatory signature. In people with obesity, however, the profile was different and not driven by the same Th17 cytokines.<br /><br />The speaker then discussed metformin as a tool to probe mechanisms of inflammaging. In vitro, metformin reduced inflammation and improved autophagy in CD4 T cells from lean older adults, but had little effect in cells from people with obesity. In clinical trial samples, metformin’s effects depended strongly on metabolic state: it appeared to reduce inflammation in people with obesity and prediabetes, but could increase inflammatory signals in metabolically healthier obese individuals.<br /><br />Finally, the lab explored mitochondrial structure and function. Older obese cells had more networked, apparently active mitochondria, but less metabolic flexibility. Altering mitochondrial function changed cytokine profiles, yet did not fully restore youthful inflammation patterns. Overall, obesity was identified as a major modifier of age-related immune inflammation.

Meta Tag

Date April 17, 2026 9:21 AM - 9:54 AM

Room Ballroom

Session Major Symposium D: Obesity, Environment, and Immunity, Sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company

Speaker Barbara Nikolajczyk

Track Cellular Adhesion, Migration, and Inflammation (CAM)

Year 2026

Keywords

obesity

inflammation

aging

prediabetes

metformin

immune cells

mitochondria

April 17, 2026 9:21 AM - 9:54 AM

Ballroom

Major Symposium D: Obesity, Environment, and Immunity, Sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company

Barbara Nikolajczyk

Cellular Adhesion, Migration, and Inflammation (CAM)

2026