WEHI Wednesday Seminar hosted by Dr Cyril Seillet

Le Xiong
PhD Student – Nutt Laboratory, Immunology division, WEHI
(this is a PhD Completion seminar)

Acute impact of high fat diet on gut homeostasis

 

Davis Auditorium

Join via SLIDO enter code #WEHIWednesday

Including Q&A session
 

Chronic inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, are becoming increasingly prevalent, particularly in industrialized countries. A westernized diet, rich in saturated fats and poor in plant-based foods are associated with chronic inflammation and gut microbiota dysbiosis. While the long-term consequences of the exposure to such diets on health have been extensively studied, the early events impairing intestinal homeostasis prior to the onset of inflammation and tissue dysfunction remain poorly understood.

Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) are key regulators of gut homeostasis. By integrating environmental cues, they support intestinal epithelial functions and integrity primarily through the production of interleukin-22 (IL-22).

During her PhD, Le investigated how short-term exposure to high fat diet impacts gut function and immune protection. Her research revealed that saturated fatty acids rapidly impair ILC3 functions leading to a loss of gut barrier integrity and function. This work revealed a novel link between diet and immune regulation, showing that saturated and unsaturated fatty acids differentially affect ILC3 metabolism and function, ultimately influencing intestinal homeostasis and increasing the susceptibility to chronic inflammation.

All welcome!