Four days of high-fat food primed a stronger skin inflammation response in mice

What the research found

News-Medical, on 29 October 2026, reported a Nature paper dated 28 October 2026 (DOI 10.1038/s41586-026-11181-4). Sagar Bapat is the corresponding author and Zewen Jiang is a co-first author. Mice kept on low-fat or high-fat pellets had imiquimod cream put on one ear. Mice that were habitually on the high-fat food and obese had a severe skin reaction. Low-fat mice had a mild one. Low-fat mice moved to high-fat food for four days, then given the cream three days later, had a severe flare while still at a normal weight. Obese mice moved back to the low-fat food for four days had milder inflammation. Weeks later, a second cream dose on the same ear, after a return to low-fat food, triggered an outsized response. Fast-acting immune cells entered the skin, and T cells remained in the ear. A similar heightened response showed up in the lungs after a few days of high-fat food. A mouse diet does not map onto a human meal. The sex of the mice was not stated. Not medical advice.

Evidence level: Animal study. Results in animals or cells often don't carry over to people.

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