TransInf
The effect of diet on immune and vaccine responses in people living with obesity in transitioning communities (Acronym: TransInf)
Project Duration: (2023-2026).
Funder: JPI
Dr. Godfrey Temba - PI
Lecturer Head Department of Immunology
About the Project
To examine and compare the immuno-metabolic and gut microbiome profiles between individuals with overweight/obesity and those with normal weight in a transitioning community in Tanzania, and to analyze the impact of a brief dietary intervention involving either a traditional diet or fermented banana beverage on these profiles as well as vaccine responses in individuals who are overweight or obese.
- To compare the immune-metabolic profiles between normal-weight and overweight/obese adults including cytokine responses to pathogens, gene transcription, inflammatory and cardiometabolic proteome, and plasma metabolome.
- To investigate the influence of a short dietary intervention with a traditional plant-based diet or fermented banana beverage on the immune-metabolic profiles and vaccine responses in overweight/obese adults.
- To identify dietary components and food-related metabolites associated with these changes in immune and vaccine responses in people living with obesity.
- To determine the effect of diet on intestinal B-cell homeostasis and immunoglobulin responses to the microbiome and the mycobiome and how they affect systemic vaccine responses.
To gain a mechanistic understanding of how diet influences immune and vaccine responses in obese people by defining the relationship between gene and epigenetic signatures, including telomere length, and immune and vaccine responses.