Impaired NK cell function by the synthetic food additive tBHQ
PROJECT SUMMARY Respiratory viruses, such as influenza, kill tens of thousands of people annually in the U.S. and worldwide, making it the eighth leading cause of death nationally. One of the perplexing aspects of this disease is the variability in interindividual response. Whereas many individuals experience manageable symptoms, others contract serious disease requiring hospitalization. While it is well established that NK cells are critical for early control of influenza infection, exciting new studies indicate that NK cells also provide an important memory response to influenza, a feature previously thought to be reserved for T cells and B cells. Our data indicate that a low dose of the synthetic food additive, tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ), impairs NK cell effector function and adversely impacts the innate immune response to influenza. Specifically, our recently published study shows that treatment of activated NK cells with tBHQ in vitro results in decreased induction of interfero