Mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are part of the body’s immune system and are involved in protection from invading pathogens and cancer. However, many studies have shown that MAIT cells can turn on the body resulting in chronic inflammation and damage. This is particularly the case in people with obesity (PWO). MAIT cells have been shown to be dysregulated in PWO, becoming inflammatory and leading to metabolic diseases like diabetes. Currently it is not known why MAIT cells are dysregulated in obesity. Studies into other cell types have shown that lipids, which are more abundant in PWO can dysregulate cells. Therefore, I hypothesise that lipids can directly alter MAIT cells, turning into inflammatory cells like the ones in reported in obesity. I will investigate the impact of obesity related lipids (e.g. the free fatty acid palmitate) on MAIT cells from healthy adults. I will use state of the art single cell assays to measure MAIT cell cytokine responses and metabolism. Collectively, this data may highlight for the first time an obesity-related factor responsible for dysregulating MAIT cells, a population heavily implicated in the development of obesity-related diseases.
