In the reductionistic approach that dominates science, we've tried to categorize even our own physiology into sperate systems such as the immune system or the metabolic system. A number of beautiful papers show that things are not so segmented as we might think. A thread.

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Already almost a decade ago, a brilliant paper in Nature showed that there is crosstalk between the gut microbiome, gut epithelial cells, and immune cells. Moreover, it showed that epithelial cells can take over the immune cell

Than there is this work of art:
https://t.co/O38Gm3P1Nu
The author argues that the immune and metabolic system are likely coevolved and demonstrates that cytokines in fact also act as metabolic hormones. This explains the low-grade inflammation associated with e.g. diabetes.

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A quote:
"The evolutionary advantages of a strong defence system
are obvious [...] As a strong immune response is dependent on energy sources, one can also argue that the integration of these systems and their cooperation [...] would be highly advantageous."

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"From this perspective, an intriguing way to think about this paradigm would be to envision immune mediators, such as cytokines,
as metabolic hormones. In fact, this aspect of immunometabolism is
extremely well-conserved among organisms"

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