\u201cThe findings mark a profound leap in understanding of how our diet directly impacts immune system function,\u2019\u2019 Professor Yu said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cOur immune system relies on T cells to manage the body’s immune response.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe kinds of fats you eat change the fat composition inside your T cells and those changes can make T cells either\u00a0weaker or\u00a0stronger in terms of immune protection.<\/p>\n
“How our bodies and cells process dietary fats – called lipid metabolism \u2013 is a critical part of the immune system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis discovery shows that dietary changes could potentially boost the effectiveness of vaccines and cancer therapies.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Examples of foods high in PUFAs include fatty fish and soybeans, while MUFAs include olive oil and avocadoes.<\/p>\n
Professor Yu said T-cells were vulnerable to a type of cell death that occurred when oxidised fats build up and destroy the cell\u2019s outer membrane.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen T cells are protected from this\u00a0oxidation-induced cell death, specific T cells (called follicular helper T cells) become much better at assisting the body in producing antibodies, which could suggest enhanced vaccine protection,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cStronger, more resilient T cells are also better at multiplying and actively attacking tumours.<\/p>\n
\u201cExperimental models\u00a0demonstrate that dietary fat modifications could improve the success of cancer treatments\u00a0which\u00a0could help eliminate tumours and\u00a0significantly prolong survival.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn future, optimising a patient’s diet and targeting lipid metabolism could become an\u00a0easily accessible way to enhance our immunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis could represent a\u00a0powerful approach, used alongside vaccines or cancer immunotherapies, to ensure immune cells are strong enough to fight off disease.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
The ideal ratio of PUFA to MUFA foods in the diet is not yet known and Professor Yu said further research was needed to determine exact role of the different fats in T-cell death.<\/p>\n