Macrophages can recycle nutrients and metabolites from bacteria that they phagocytose. New work is showing how this process can differ between dead and viable bacteria and the effect this distinction has on regulating immune responses and the immunometabolism of the macrophage.
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Fig. 1: Metabolic recycling of phagocytosed bacteria by macrophages.
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School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Shane M. O’Carroll & Luke A. J. O’Neill
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Shane M. O’Carroll
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2. Luke A. J. O’Neill
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Correspondence to Shane M. O’Carroll or Luke A. J. O’Neill.
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O’Carroll, S.M., O’Neill, L.A.J. Recycling dead bacteria to fuel macrophage immunometabolism. Nat Immunol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-025-02117-7
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Published:19 March 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-025-02117-7
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