Researchers at Columbia University have found that a diet low in iron impairs T-cell function in the lungs and weakens defenses against respiratory viruses. The study’s results were published in The Journal of Immunology (JI).
In the experiment, mice were switched to a low-iron diet and then infected with the influenza virus. Scientists monitored how the rodents’ immune T-cells generated memory cells.
Memory cells are a population of lymphocytes that store information about previously encountered antigens and form a secondary immune response. The study showed that under iron deficiency, these cells produced almost no interferon-gamma—a key antiviral signal. The impairment persisted even after the diet was normalized, indicating lasting damage to immune cell function.
The effect was localized in lung tissue: lung T-cells lost the ability to fully respond to the virus, while other components of the immune system functioned normally. This may explain why iron deficiency is linked to increased susceptibility to respiratory infections and a higher risk of asthma.
According to the authors, iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional disorders. A deeper understanding of its impact on lung immunity could help develop new dietary and medical strategies for preventing viral diseases.
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