Study finds that natural killer T-cells in fat tissue guard against obesity

Invariant natural killer T-cells (iNKT) are a unique subset of immune cells that are known to influence inflammatory responses. Now, a scientific team led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has found that iNKT cells play a protective role in guarding against obesity and the metabolic syndrome, a major consequence of obesity.

Their discovery, published on-line today in the journal Immunity, also finds that although iNKT cells are lost when humans become obese, they can be restored through weight loss, and further suggests that therapies that activate iNKT cells could help manage obesity, diabetes and metabolic disease.

iNKT cells had been thought to be rare in humans until work by Lydia Lynch, PhD, found they were plentiful in human adipose (fat) tissue.

"Our previous work had revealed a large population of iNKT cells in fat tissue in both mice and humans,"...