Your bank account balances on a strict budget…your body does too!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Did you know your fat follows a 24-hour cycle of energy use? But who oversees all this metabolic bookkeeping?
Enter Aaron Douglas and team from Trinity College. They observed mice eating at different times to identify signaling molecules made after meals.
And? Immune cells produce IL-17 on a strict schedule. It tracks your energy budget, prompting fat cells to release stored energy when needed. Mice lacking IL-17 signals resisted weight gain — even on high-fat diets!
Targeting these day-night cycles to alter fat storage could unlock new obesity treatments.
When it comes to your body’s budget, IL-17 is the accountant you want – keeping your energy accounts in the black!
Reference: Douglas, A., Stevens, B., Rendas, M., Kane, H., Lynch, E., Kunkemoeller, B., … & Lynch, L. (2024). Rhythmic IL-17 production by γδ T cells maintains adipose de novo lipogenesis. Nature, 636(8041), 206-214.