[HTML][HTML] The dietary sweetener sucralose is a negative modulator of T cell-mediated responses

F Zani, J Blagih, T Gruber, MD Buck, N Jones… - Nature, 2023 - nature.com
F Zani, J Blagih, T Gruber, MD Buck, N Jones, M Hennequart, CL Newell, SE Pilley
Nature, 2023nature.com
Artificial sweeteners are used as calorie-free sugar substitutes in many food products and
their consumption has increased substantially over the past years. Although generally
regarded as safe, some concerns have been raised about the long-term safety of the
consumption of certain sweeteners,,–. In this study, we show that the intake of high doses of
sucralose in mice results in immunomodulatory effects by limiting T cell proliferation and T
cell differentiation. Mechanistically, sucralose affects the membrane order of T cells …
Abstract
Artificial sweeteners are used as calorie-free sugar substitutes in many food products and their consumption has increased substantially over the past years. Although generally regarded as safe, some concerns have been raised about the long-term safety of the consumption of certain sweeteners, , –. In this study, we show that the intake of high doses of sucralose in mice results in immunomodulatory effects by limiting T cell proliferation and T cell differentiation. Mechanistically, sucralose affects the membrane order of T cells, accompanied by a reduced efficiency of T cell receptor signalling and intracellular calcium mobilization. Mice given sucralose show decreased CD8+ T cell antigen-specific responses in subcutaneous cancer models and bacterial infection models, and reduced T cell function in models of T cell-mediated autoimmunity. Overall, these findings suggest that a high intake of sucralose can dampen T cell-mediated responses, an effect that could be used in therapy to mitigate T cell-dependent autoimmune disorders.
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