Despite numerous published dietary and clinical studies, we still don’t fully understand how omega-3 fatty acids affect our cells and if this varies from person to person, between healthy and ill individuals, or whether the mechanism of action varies in different tissues and cells. What we are most sure of is that omega-3 fatty acids can dampen inflammatory reactions.

The researchers hypothesized that omega-3 fatty acids could dampen inflammatory reactions by elevating autophagy in macrophages. If so, we surmised that this effect might change the signal transformation in the macrophage and as a result, suppress activation of inflammatory reactions. By studying macrophages isolated from mice and humans, we found that the omega-3 fatty acids activated the autophagy and specifically affected some proteins that transform the signals from the environment. Furthermore, we found that omega-3 fatty acids dampened many inflammatory mechanisms within the macrophages, but especially reduced what is known as the type 1 interferon response.

The factor CXCL-10, which macrophages secrete as part of this interferon response following many types of stimuli, was the most clearly reduced factor after adding omega-3 to the cells.

We then examined blood samples from a clinical study in cardiac transplant patients where we knew that omega-3 supplements improved their clinical status. In these cases, we found that omega-3 fatty acids reduced the level of CXCL-10.

Autophagy thus changes in macrophages in response to omega-3 fatty acids and specifically inhibits the secretion of inflammatory factors that belong to the interferon response, with CXCL-10 showing the clearest reduction.

The results of this study were published in the journal Autophagy.

These findings indicate that omega-3 fatty acid supplements may be particularly beneficial in patients who have conditions that are driven or aggravated by a strong interferon response and CXCL-10.

The research group hopes that this one day will benefit patients with different forms of cancer, meningitis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease or jaundice.

The work was published by PhD candidate Jennifer Mildenberger and colleagues was conducted at CEMIR and at NTNU’s Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science in the Faculty of Natural Science. In addition, researchers in St. Louis, USA carried out important sub studies.