{
  "id": 2941675,
  "title": "IL-10/ACOD1 axis regulates catabolism of phagocytosed lipids in trained macrophages",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/il-10-acod1-axis-regulates-catabolism-of-phagocytosed-lipids-in",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.18.745517v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Macrophages play a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis in inflamed tissues by clearing excess debris, both from the host and microbes. However, the specific mechanisms behind lipid processing in these cells during innate immune training have not been well-understood until now. By using stable isotope labeling of 13C-labeled bacteria, researchers have developed a method to trace the transfer of microbial lipids from the microbes to the host, as well as the eventual fate of these lipids within macrophages in both controlled laboratory settings and living organisms.\n\nIn naive macrophages, phagocytosed bacterial fatty acids enter the host's lipidome. Yet, when macrophages are trained by exposure to toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-activated microbes, the lipid flux is redirected either towards mitochondrial beta-oxidation or storage in lipid droplets, depending on the state of the mitochondria. Training via TLR4 signaling upregulates a gene called ACOD1, which produces a molecule called itaconate. This itaconate helps regulate the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, a key metabolic pathway.\n\nOn the other hand, trained macrophages also produce interleukin-10 (IL-10), which works to lower ACOD1 levels. This reduction in ACOD1 allows macrophages to continue disposing of bacterial lipids effectively and to encourage resolution of inflammation. By revealing this IL-10/ACOD1 regulatory axis in trained macrophages, scientists now have a better understanding of how these cells reprogram lipid metabolism after inflammation, ultimately restoring tissue homeostasis.",
  "summary": "Macrophages clear excess host and microbial debris to restore homeostasis in inflamed tissues, yet the regulation and molecular fate of phagocytosed lipids during innate immune training remains largely unexplored. Leveraging stable isotope tracing of 13C-labeled bacteria, we establish an experimental framework to track microbe-to-host lipid transfer and define the fates of microbial lipids in…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}