IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-Mitochondrial Calcium Signaling in Age-associated Inflammation

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The symposium opened with Stefan Feske introducing the importance of ion channels and transporters in immunity, an underexplored area with major drug-development potential. He previewed talks on mitochondrial calcium signaling, bicarbonate transport in T cells, nucleoside transport in dendritic cells, and chloride channel control of STING signaling.<br /><br />Bimal Desai then focused on mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) in macrophages and aging. Using human and mouse transcriptomic data, his team found that MCU declines with age in blood cells, alongside increased inflammatory gene expression. Functionally, older or MCU-deficient macrophages showed reduced mitochondrial calcium uptake, exaggerated cytosolic calcium signals, stronger NF-κB activation, and higher inflammatory cytokine production. MCU loss also impaired antifungal defense: macrophages could not generate enough citrate, NADPH, or phagosomal ROS to kill Candida efficiently. Adding citrate rescued killing. Overall, mitochondrial calcium uptake by MCU restrains inflammation while supporting pathogen clearance.

Meta Tag

Date April 16, 2026 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Room 104C

Session New Insights into the Role of Ion Channels and Transporters in Immunity, Sponsored by the Society of General Physiologists

Speaker Bimal Desai

Track Innate Immune Responses and Host Defense: Molecular Mechanisms (INM)

Year 2026

Keywords

ion channels

transporters

immune signaling

mitochondrial calcium uniporter

macrophage aging

inflammatory cytokines

April 16, 2026 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

104C

New Insights into the Role of Ion Channels and Transporters in Immunity, Sponsored by the Society of General Physiologists

Bimal Desai

Innate Immune Responses and Host Defense: Molecular Mechanisms (INM)

2026