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Dietary lipid overload creates a suppressive environment that impedes the antiviral functions of NK cells

Simone Schimmer,Leonie Kerkmann,Nele Kahlert,Shahd al Jubeh,Tanja Werner,Carrie Corkish,H. Prendeville,David Finlay,K. Sutter,Ulf Dittmer,Elisabeth Littwitz-Salomon

Published 2025 in iScience

ABSTRACT

Summary Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells able to recognize and eliminate virus-infected cells. NK cell activity strongly correlates with a metabolic reprogramming and breakdown of fatty acids by β-oxidation during virus infections. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the impact of obesity on antiviral NK cell functions. Here, employing the Friend retrovirus mouse model, we show that the cytotoxicity and cytokine production of NK cells was impaired in obesity, leading to higher viral loads. NK cells suppression in obesity was mediated by activated Tregs. Furthermore, obese mice that were switched back to a regular diet showed complete recovery of the NK cell activity. Interestingly, feeding mice with a high-fat diet (HFD) for just ten days caused NK cell dysfunction and increased retroviral burden. This study is the first to link the detrimental impact of an obesity-induced immunosuppressive microenvironment with NK cell dysfunction during an acute retroviral infection.

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