A new publication review series co-edited by Eyal Amiel, an associate professor of medical laboratory science, explores the impact of immunometabolism in the interaction between host and pathogen and casts new light on infection and immune cell activity. 

The series, “The Immunology of Infection,” is published in Immunology, The Journal of Cells, Molecules, Systems and Technologies. It includes a collection of papers that provide new insight into the metabolic signals that guide the dynamic conversation between microbial pathogens and the hosts they aim to occupy. Dr. Amiel co-edits the series with Dr. Georgia Perona-Wright, a principal investigator and senior lecturer at the Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation at the University of Glascow, Scotland.

The first half of the series, published in October, includes four review papers on metabolic mechanisms and their influence on immune cell activity and protection from infection. The second half of the series, to be published in early 2021, provides specific examples of immunometabolism in action during specific infections, and will focus on metabolic factors that regulate the interactions between host immune cells and pathogens that influence disease outcome.

An expert on cellular molecular biology and disease immunity, Amiel uses diverse investigative strategies that include cell biology, molecular, and biochemical approaches to investigate how metabolic signals control immune activation and function of dendritic cells. Research in the Amiel Laboratory examines the basic molecular mechanisms regulating cellular immune activation with the long-term goal of discovering new therapeutic approaches to manipulate immune responses to better meet the needs of immune-related clinical challenges.