Role of obesity in model of allogeneic transplant rejection

• Grant number: 14/14147-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2014
• End date: December 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Niels Olsen Saraiva Câmara
• Grantee: Fernanda Fernandes Terra
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 12/02270-2 - New cellular, molecular and immunological mechanisms involved in acute and chronic renal injury: the search for new therapeutical approaches, AP.TEM

Abstract

Given the epidemic rates of obesity worldwide, it is of great importance to study the physiological and pathological effects consequent to this change. Obesity, considered a worldwide epidemic, is also a public health problem in Brazil and carries significant costs to this sector.Studies show that excess fat has many harmful effects on human physiology and it is associated with multiple increased comorbidities in recent decades. Moreover, it is now known that in addition to modulating different systems related to energy metabolism, adipose tissue is also an important endocrine and immunological regulator. In obesity, it is believed that the tissue is stimulated by hypoxia and cell hypertrophy to alter the expression of inflammatory cytokines and other bioactive molecules of paracrine and systemic action, so as to lead to a state of chronic low-grade inflammation.Forward, immunology of transplantation rejection occupies a central point in the quest to increase the survival of transplants. Despite the use of immunosuppressive drugs significantly extend the survival of grafts, the presence of contralateral effects with toxicity and high rates of chronic rejection make it essential to search for new avenues of intervention for achieving immune tolerance.Thus, we propose to study through this work the role of obesity in the process of organ rejection using an allogeneic murine skin transplant model. This study will clarify the effect of these components in immune activation and elucidate the modulatory mechanisms of obesity in the rejection process.