Obesity is a risk factor for diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. A key driving factor in the decline to further disease is chronic inflammation. This is caused by immune cells attacking the wrong areas over time. Controlling immune cell activation is a potential way to stop or slow down the progression of obesity to chronic disease.

Omega-3 fatty acids are known as "healthy fats" in the diet, because they can lower both blood lipids and markers of inflammation. Recent work suggests that an omega-3 fatty acid from plant oil may act on white blood cells called monocytes to reduce the rate at which they break down sugar for fuel. This is expected to reduce their inflammatory activation.

We will feed mice a high-fat diet to induce obesity. Then, we’ll supplement their diet with omega-3 fatty acid. We will then collect monocytes from these mice and study their ability to break down sugar and other nutrients for fuel.

This study will offer key insights into how well mouse models of obesity and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation mimic the changes to monocytes observed in human studies. It will also help us understand how omega-3 fatty acids affect immune activation and inflammation, informing their use as dietary components or therapeutics.