Targeting macrophage metabolism: mechanisms, cellular crosstalk and implications in obesity-associated metabolic diseases.

Obesity and its associated metabolic disorders constitute a prominent public health challenge. Diverse environmental and metabolic cues trigger alterations in macrophage metabolism, thereby influencing their functional phenotypes. Due to their phenotypic plasticity, macrophages play beneficial roles in tissue homeostasis, yet they also contribute to the progression of metabolic diseases. Consequently, beyond systemic chronic low-grade inflammation, greater attention should be directed toward immunometabolic dysfunction in metabolic tissues during obesity and its related diseases. This review summarizes the functional phenotypes and metabolic characteristics of macrophages, with an emphasis on how tissue niches influence macrophage function in the context of various obesity-related metabolic diseases. Enhanced understanding of the interplay between macrophages and metabolic target organs/tissues may provide novel therapeutic strategies for managing obesity and associated metabolic disorders.