Recent advances in the field of nutritional immunology

Abstract

Every 4 years, researchers in the cross-disciplinary field of nutritional immunology convene for a FASEB-sponsored meeting entitled, “Nutritional Immunology: Role in Health and Disease”, which was held this summer in Carefree, AZ, USA. The scope of the conference encompassed a diverse list of research topics, including, but not restricted to, obesity and immune dysfunction, nutrient–gene interactions, mucosal immunity and a discussion of future directions for the field. Here, we summarize some of the findings shared at the conference, specifically focusing on obesity, immunological function of dietary components (n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and flavanoids), gut immunity and the microbiota, and relevant emerging technologies and databases.

Keywords::

• diet
• infectious disease
• inflammation
• mucosal immunity
• n-3 fatty acids
• obesity
• phytochemicals
• Toll-like receptor
• vitamin A

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Robert S Chapkin received an honorarium from FASEB as a speaker at the meeting. Following a poster competition at the meeting, a travel honorarium was awarded by FASEB to Jennifer M Monk. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.