Lipid metabolism drives dietary effects on T cell ferroptosis and immunity
Nature
by Naiqi WangMarch 4, 2026
Ferroptosis, a major mechanism of non-apoptotic programmed cell death, critically regulates the homeostasis and functionality of peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T cells1–6. Here we demonstrate that in mouse, resistance of T cells to ferroptosis depends critically on the composition of standard rodent diets, and that dietary effects on ferroptosis (DEFs) have a crucial role in regulation of T cell homeostasis and immune responses. DEFs are microbiota-independent and are driven by variations in dietary polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs and MUFAs) that lead to variations in abundance of lipid species in lymphoid tissues and T cells. Consistently, ferroptosis resistance of human T cells also correlated with plasma lipid profiles across multiple healthy cohorts, exhibiting negative associations with PUFA/MUFA ratios in major lipid classes. DEFs dictate T cell resilience in the absence of the essential lipid peroxide scavenger GPX4 and broadly modulate T cell-dependent humoral immunity and T cell-mediated anti-tumour immunity, including in chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy. Mechanistically, ACSL4, which preferentially biosynthezises PUFA-containing phospholipids7, is highly expressed in T cells and underpins DEF-mediated regulation of follicular helper T (TFH) cell generation and function. Our findings reveal the physiological significance of lipid metabolism in driving DEFs in immunity and suggest strategies targeting lipid metabolism to enhance vaccine efficacy and T cell-mediated immunotherapy. The susceptibility of mouse and human T cells to ferroptosis is determined by the balance of systemic polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, highlighting a key role for lipid metabolism and dietary composition in regulating T cell function.
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Originally published on Nature on 3/4/2026