Interferon regulatory factor 4 dictates metabolic flexibility of fat versus muscle loss during repeated intermittent fasting

Interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) is a transcription factor that regulates the proliferation, differentiation, and metabolism of immune cells, such as macrophages and T cells. Recently, IRF4 has been shown to regulate lipolysis in adipocytes and increases in visceral human adipose tissue and murine white adipose tissue during acute fasting. However, it was unknown how IRF4 influences metabolic responses to repeated intermittent fasting. We …