This is a review paper that provides a detailed, state-of-the-art (at the time it was published) overview of the impact of fatty acids on the structure and function of lymphocytes and discusses possible mechanisms of action and clinical applications. This is an area of current research activity that is of interest to both basic researchers as well as to clinicians and other health professionals. Therefore, the review has wide appeal. Furthermore, it brings together a lot of the literature in an integrated and accessible way. I believe that this paper is highly cited because it provides substantial background information on which more recent studies and publications can be based.

  Does it describe a new discovery or a new methodology that's useful to others?

No, it is a detailed, state-of-the-art review of the field. However, the review itself is useful to others since it provides an accessible, integrated overview of the area of research.

  Could you summarize the significance of your paper in layman's terms?

Lymphocytes are components of the immune system that act to protect the host from invaders like bacteria and viruses. Although the immune system is essential to life, it can go wrong and lead to disease. Lymphocytes play a role in immune diseases. Changing the type of fat available to lymphocytes changes their structure in subtle ways and this leads to a change in the way they act, i.e., in their function. The omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil appear to exert the greatest effects on lymphocytes. Through these effects, omega-3 fatty acids might be useful in preventing or even treating some human diseases.

I began investigating the effects of fatty acids on the immune and inflammatory systems in 1987. After completing a Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, in 1987, I was awarded an Oxford Nuffield Medical Fellowship and moved to the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Oxford. Here I worked in the laboratory of Eric Newsholme, the eminent metabolic biochemist. It was he who suggested to me that I should investigate the role of fatty acids in the immune system. At that stage the field was in its infancy, but interest in the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids was increasing. Thus, Eric's suggestion was a very timely one. I could see that since fatty acids alter immune cell membrane composition, they might affect the functions of these cells either through effects on the physical state of the membrane or through alterations in generation of signaling molecules based upon membrane lipids. Thus, I started researching the effects of different fatty acids on aspects of immune function and attempted to identify the mechanisms of action of these fatty acids. This work continues to this day.

Philip C. Calder
Institute for Human Nutrition
University of Southampton
Southampton, Hants, U.K.