Projects | Project Area A

Project A02

Role and regulation of muscle-residing Foxp3+ Treg cells in health and disease

Background

Treg cells respond to environmental-immunometabolic signaling cues in metabolic tissues like the muscle to safeguard local tissue homeostasis, integrity, and function. Physical inactivity and overnutrition promote metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

We hypothesize, that signaling cues like exercise modulate muscle-residing Treg cells and that these cells are the molecular interface required for the muscle response to exercise from a metabolic perspective but also concerning muscle function, myogenesis, and repair.

Strategy

We aim to dissect how Treg cells control muscle function, repair, and regeneration in response to metabolic challenges, exercise, and muscle injury. Given the importance of IL-6 as a myokine secreted in response to exercise, we investigate the IL6Rα/ Amphiregulin (Areg)/ epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) signaling in Treg cells by generating loss-of-function mouse models. We then assess the impact of these signaling molecules in mediating immune effects of exercise or injury in muscle Treg cells.