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Friday 29 November 2024

Southampton nutrition scientist secures funding for obesity research

Dr Helena Fisk is looking at new ways to improve obesity-associated inflammation.

The Southampton researcher has secured funding from the iNutriLife Innovation Hub.

She is currently supported by the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

Dr Fisk’s new award will establish a cellular model of obesity. She will use this to explore how dietary fatty acids may improve inflammation and metabolic health.

Omega-3 fatty acids – sometimes known as ‘healthy fats’ - are found in oily fish. They have been linked to various health benefits and a reduced risk of disease.

Diet and inflammation in obesity

The body can convert (metabolise) fatty acids into signalling molecules called oxylipins.

Previous research has shown that specific oxylipins called pro-resolving mediators generated from omega-3 can reduce inflammation.

Oxylipins and specialised pro-resolving mediators are found in blood and tissues. They are made by cells including macrophages that move to fat tissue as obesity develops. Macrophages are a type of white blood cell that plays an important role in the immune system.

Dr Fisk’s previous work has shown that people who are living with obesity have fewer pro-resolving oxylipins that can reduce inflammation in their fat tissue. She has also shown that people living with obesity are not able to convert omega-3 fatty acids to pro-resolving oxylipins when we add more of them to their diet.

The new study is a collaboration with a company called Solutex. They manufacture a range of fatty acid products. These include a unique combination of omega-3 fatty acids and specialised pro-resolving mediators that are reported to reduce inflammation.

Exactly how this combination may improve inflammation and metabolism in obesity is not yet known. Findings from this study will be used to inform its use in a human study of obesity in the future.

‘Huge potential’

There were over one million hospital admissions due to obesity-related illness in the UK between 2022 and 2023.

More than two in three adults in the UK are living with overweight or obesity, and there are over one billion people living with obesity worldwide. Despite efforts to reduce rates of obesity, these numbers are continuing to rise.

“There is an urgent need to support the health of people living with overweight and obesity,” Dr Fisk explained.

She continued: “Dietary interventions have huge potential. We believe this combination of omega-3 fatty acids and specialised pro-resolving mediators could help restore levels of these in obesity”.

“This may offer a promising way to reduce inflammation and improve metabolism, reducing the risk of diseases like diabetes and heart disease.”

Dr Fisk is currently supported by a Bridging Fellowship from the NIHR Southampton BRC. Her research is part of the Nutrition, Lifestyle and Metabolism theme.

Earlier this year, she was presented with The Nutrition Society STEM4Britain Award. This honour recognises scientific excellence at an early career stage.

Dr Fisk has also secured further funding in recent months to establish a new methodology for measuring metabolites of dietary fatty acids.