MUCOSAL-ASSOCIATED INVARIANT T CELLS AT THE CROSS ROAD BETWEEN INFLAMMATION AND MICROBIOTA IN METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION AND NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE – HEPADIMAIT

The exacerbated inflammatory response is a major component of metabolic syndrome and contributes to fatty liver disease progression to fibrosis. Mucosal-associated T cells (MAIT) are an abundant T lymphocyte subset in blood, adipose tissue and liver, that recognizes bacterial-derived ligands. The consortium has shown that metabolic syndrome is associated with MAIT cell alterations and demonstrated their pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrogenic roles in the liver. HEPADIMAIT will focus on the link between MAIT cell functions, inflammation and microbiota-derived bacterial MAIT ligands, and the impact on metabolic dysfunction. We will also evaluate whether modulating MAIT cell functions may constitute a new therapeutic approach. The project combines studies in human samples, unique animal models and cell culture experiments. HEPADIMAIT is likely to pave the way for the design of novel MAIT-targeting therapies to prevent metabolic syndrome and associated fatty liver disease.