# Advances in the Role of Adipose Tissue in Promoting Injury Repair and Resist Infection **Authors:** Xi Duan, Run Li, Lei Fu, Jiali Yang, Zhean Zhan PMC · DOI: 10.1002/iid3.70341 · 2026-02-04 ## TL;DR This review explores how adipose tissue helps repair injuries and resist infections through its various components and secreted molecules. ## Contribution The paper systematically examines the distinct roles of adipose tissue components in tissue repair and infection resistance. ## Key findings - Adipose tissue components like adipocytes and immune cells secrete cytokines that enhance host defense. - The extracellular matrix provides structural support, while SVF cells promote regeneration and reduce scarring. - The review suggests future research directions for AT-based therapies and anti-infective mechanisms. ## Abstract In recent years, adipose tissue (AT) transplantation has increasingly been noticed by many people in the field of tissue repair and regeneration. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that AT exerts dual functions in promoting tissue repair and conferring anti‐infective properties, with distinct biological effects attributed to its heterogeneous components. This review systematically examines the distribution of AT and its components, including adipocytes, extracellular matrix (ECM), immune cells, stromal vascular fraction (SVF), and adipokines. Distinct AT components mediate tissue repair and infection resistance through unique molecular mechanisms. Functionally, adipocytes and immune cells secrete various cytokines, including adiponectin, leptin, tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), antimicrobial peptides, and IL‐17, which coordinate inflammatory signaling and enhance host defense mechanisms. The main function of the ECM is to provide structural support for cells. SVF cell populations exhibit dual functionality: accelerating neural and cutaneous regeneration while suppressing fibrotic pathways to minimize scar formation. Recommendations are proposed to guide future investigations into AT‐mediated immune functions. This review highlights potential strategies for advancing AT‐based clinical therapeutics and suggests novel directions for foundational studies on AT's anti‐infective mechanisms. ## Linked entities - **Proteins:** lepa (leptin a), IL6 (interleukin 6), IL17A (interleukin 17A) ## Full-text entities - **Genes:** Cxcl15 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 15) [NCBI Gene 20309] {aka Il8, Scyb15, lungkine, weche}, INSR (insulin receptor) [NCBI Gene 3643] {aka CD220, HHF5}, Cxcl14 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 14) [NCBI Gene 57266] {aka 1110031L23Rik, 1200006I23Rik, BMAC, BRAK, KS1, Kec}, Tagln (transgelin) [NCBI Gene 21345] {aka Sm22, Sm22a, Ws310}, Tgfa (transforming growth factor alpha) [NCBI Gene 21802] {aka wa-1, wa1}, Il17f (interleukin 17F) [NCBI Gene 257630] {aka IL-17F}, tlr-2 (tld-related-2) [NCBI Gene 44349] {aka tlr}, Cxcl9 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 9) [NCBI Gene 17329] {aka CMK, Mig, MuMIG, Scyb9, crg-10}, Abcg2 (ATP binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (Junior blood group)) [NCBI Gene 26357] {aka ABC15, ABCP, BCRP, Bcrp1, MXR, MXR1}, CCL2 (C-C motif chemokine ligand 2) [NCBI Gene 6347] {aka GDCF-2, HC11, HSMCR30, MCAF, MCP-1, MCP1}, Il33 (interleukin 33) [NCBI Gene 77125] {aka 9230117N10Rik, Il-33, Il1f11, NF-HEV}, Itgax (integrin alpha X) [NCBI Gene 16411] {aka Cd11c, Cr4, N418}, GLP1R (glucagon like peptide 1 receptor) [NCBI Gene 2740] {aka GLP-1, GLP-1-R, GLP-1R}, Tgfb1 (transforming growth factor, beta 1) [NCBI Gene 21803] {aka TGF-beta1, TGFbeta1, Tgfb, Tgfb-1}, Il1b (interleukin 1 beta) [NCBI Gene 16176] {aka IL-1beta, Il-1b}, Il10 (interleukin 10) [NCBI Gene 16153] {aka CSIF, If2a, Il-10}, Pi3K21B (Pi3K21B) [NCBI Gene 33203] {aka CG2699, Dmel\CG2699, Dp60, P60, PI(3)K, PI3 kinase}, Icam1 (intercellular adhesion molecule 1) [NCBI Gene 15894] {aka CD54, Icam-1, Ly-47, MALA-2}, Adgre1 (adhesion G protein-coupled receptor E1) [NCBI Gene 13733] {aka DD7A5-7, EGF-TM7, Emr1, F4/80, Gpf480, Ly71}, Mrc1 (mannose receptor, C type 1) [NCBI Gene 17533] {aka CD206, MR}, Csf2 (colony stimulating factor 2 (granulocyte-macrophage)) [NCBI Gene 12981] {aka CSF, Csfgm, GMCSF, Gm-CSf, MGI-IGM}, Myd88 (myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88) [NCBI Gene 17874], EGR1 (early growth response 1) [NCBI Gene 1958] {aka AT225, G0S30, KROX-24, NGFI-A, TIS8, ZIF-268}, imd (immune deficiency) [NCBI Gene 44339] {aka BG5, CG5576, Dmel\CG5576, anon-WO0172774.166, dsIMD, shadok}, Akt (Akt kinase) [NCBI Gene 41957] {aka AKT-1, AKT/PKB, AKT1, Akt-1, Akt/PKB, Akt1}, CD8A (CD8 subunit alpha) [NCBI Gene 925] {aka CD8, CD8alpha, IMD116, Leu2, p32}, Cxcl13 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13) [NCBI Gene 55985] {aka 4631412M08Rik, ANGIE2, Angie, BCA-1, BLC, BLR1L}, Nos3 (nitric oxide synthase 3, endothelial cell) [NCBI Gene 18127] {aka 2310065A03Rik, Nos-3, eNOS, ecNOS}, Adipoq (adiponectin, C1Q and collagen domain containing) [NCBI Gene 11450] {aka 30kDa, APN, Acdc, Acrp30, Ad, Adid}, Tnfrsf1a (tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 1a) [NCBI Gene 21937] {aka CD120a, FPF, TNF-R, TNF-R-I, TNF-R1, TNF-R55}, SAT1 (spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase 1) [NCBI Gene 6303] {aka DC21, KFSD, KFSDX, SAT, SSAT, SSAT-1}, Lep (leptin) [NCBI Gene 16846] {aka ob, obese}, Lyn (Lyn proto-oncogene, Src family tyrosine kinase) [NCBI Gene 17096] {aka Hck-2, p53Lyn, p56Lyn}, NFKB1 (nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1) [NCBI Gene 4790] {aka CVID12, EBP-1, KBF1, NF-kB, NF-kB1, NF-kappa-B1}, Il13 (interleukin 13) [NCBI Gene 16163] {aka Il-13}, Runx1 (runt related transcription factor 1) [NCBI Gene 12394] {aka AML1, CBF-alpha-2, Cbfa2, Pebp2a2, Pebpa2b}, Nfkb1 (nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B cells 1, p105) [NCBI Gene 18033] {aka NF-KB1, NF-kappaB, NF-kappaB1, p105, p50, p50/p105}, Cd1d1 (CD1d1 antigen) [NCBI Gene 12479] {aka CD1.1, Cd1a, Cd1d, Ly-38}, LEP (leptin) [NCBI Gene 3952] {aka LEPD, OB, OBS}, rl (rolled) [NCBI Gene 3354888] {aka 12559, BcDNA:RE08694, CG12559, CG18732, CT34260, CT39192}, Egf (epidermal growth factor) [NCBI Gene 13645], IL1B (interleukin 1 beta) [NCBI Gene 3553] {aka IL-1, IL1-BETA, IL1F2, IL1beta}, Pparg (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma) [NCBI Gene 19016] {aka Nr1c3, PPAR-gamma, PPAR-gamma2, PPARgamma, PPARgamma2}, Cfd (complement factor D) [NCBI Gene 11537] {aka Adn, DF}, Nos2 (nitric oxide synthase 2, inducible) [NCBI Gene 18126] {aka MAC-NOS, NOS-II, Nos-2, Nos2a, i-NOS, iNOS}, Cd4 (CD4 antigen) [NCBI Gene 12504] {aka L3T4, Ly-4}, Rel (Relish) [NCBI Gene 41087] {aka CG11992, Dmel\CG11992, NF-KB, NF-kappaB, NF-kappaBeta, NFkappaB}, Inos (myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase) [NCBI Gene 35671] {aka CG11143, Dmel\CG11143, bs36h12.y1}, Pgf (placental growth factor) [NCBI Gene 18654] {aka PIGF, Plgf}, ADIPOQ (adiponectin, C1Q and collagen domain containing) [NCBI Gene 9370] {aka ACDC, ACRP30, ADIPQTL1, ADPN, APM-1, APM1}, Apod (apolipoprotein D) [NCBI Gene 11815], Tlr4 (toll-like receptor 4) [NCBI Gene 21898] {aka Lps, Ly87, Ran/M1, Rasl2-8}, Fcer1g (Fc receptor, IgE, high affinity I, gamma polypeptide) [NCBI Gene 14127] {aka CD23, FcR-gamma, FcR[g], FcRgamma, Fce1g, FcepsilonRI}, ELN (elastin) [NCBI Gene 2006] {aka ADCL1, SVAS, WBS, WS}, IL6 (interleukin 6) [NCBI Gene 3569] {aka BSF-2, BSF2, CDF, HGF, HSF, IFN-beta-2}, IL17A (interleukin 17A) [NCBI Gene 3605] {aka CTLA-8, CTLA8, IL-17, IL-17A, IL17, ILA17}, Vegfa (vascular endothelial growth factor A) [NCBI Gene 22339] {aka L-VEGF, Vegf, Vpf}, Bmp4 (bone morphogenetic protein 4) [NCBI Gene 12159] {aka Bmp-4, Bmp2b, Bmp2b-1, Bmp2b1}, CXCL12 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12) [NCBI Gene 6387] {aka IRH, PBSF, SCYB12, SDF1, TLSF, TPAR1}, egr (eiger) [NCBI Gene 36054] {aka BcDNA:RH51659, CG12919, Dmel\CG12919, Ect1, Eig, Eiger} - **Diseases:** Immune Dysregulation (OMIM:614878), Abdominal obesity (MESH:D056128), systemic (MESH:D015619), bacterial (MESH:D001424), hypertension (MESH:D006973), myocardial injury (MESH:D009202), metabolic dysregulation (MESH:D021081), endocrine disruption (MESH:D004700), autoimmune encephalomyelitis (MESH:D004681), coronary inflammation (MESH:D007249), metabolic disease (MESH:D008659), muscle atrophy (MESH:D009133), scars (MESH:D002921), diabetic foot (MESH:D017719), anorexia (MESH:D000855), liver fibrosis (MESH:D008103), muscular dystrophy (MESH:D009136), cardiovascular disease (MESH:D002318), liver injury (MESH:D017093), microbial infections (MESH:D015163), SVF (MESH:D054144), lipoatrophy (MESH:C535905), injury (MESH:D014947), hyperplasia (MESH:D006965), neuroinflammation (MESH:D000090862), skin injuries (MESH:D000069836), metastasis (MESH:D009362), post- (MESH:D000094025), T. brucei infection (MESH:D007239), tumor (MESH:D009369), fibrosis (MESH:D005355), acute myocardial infarction (MESH:D009203), AT atrophy (MESH:D018205), atherosclerosis (MESH:D050197), infectious diseases (MESH:D003141), hypertrophy (MESH:D006984), burn (MESH:D002056), painful (MESH:D010146), Fat (MESH:D004620), type 2 diabetes (MESH:D003924), obese (MESH:D009765), necrotic (MESH:D009336), diabetes (MESH:D003920), autoimmune (MESH:D001327), ischemic injury (MESH:D017202), insulin resistance (MESH:D007333), TAA (MESH:D017545), ischemic (MESH:D002545), prostate cancer (MESH:D011471), premature ovarian failure (MESH:D016649), metabolic syndrome (MESH:D024821) - **Chemicals:** glucuronic acid (MESH:D020723), oxygen (MESH:D010100), polysaccharides (MESH:D011134), glucose (MESH:D005947), peptides (MESH:D010455), free fatty acids (MESH:D005230), AMP (MESH:D000249), LPS (MESH:D008070), phospholipid (MESH:D010743), AMPs (MESH:C014308), fatty acids (MESH:D005227), PDMS (MESH:C013830), lipid (MESH:D008055), glycosaminoglycans (MESH:D006025), AMP;2 (-), superoxide (MESH:D013481), catecholamine (MESH:D002395), CTX (MESH:D003520), estradiol (MESH:D004958), cholesterol (MESH:D002784) - **Species:** Fungi (kingdom) [taxon 4751], Mus musculus (house mouse, species) [taxon 10090], Gallus gallus (bantam, species) [taxon 9031], Bacteria Latreille et al. 1825 (Bacteria stick insect, genus) [taxon 629395], Escherichia coli (E. coli, species) [taxon 562], Rattus norvegicus (brown rat, species) [taxon 10116], Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly, species) [taxon 7227], Staphylococcus aureus (species) [taxon 1280], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606] - **Cell lines:** 3T3-L1 — Mus musculus (Mouse), Spontaneously immortalized cell line (CVCL_0123) ## Figures 3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12872982/full.md --- Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12872982