- Over the past few years, researchers have focused on using vitamin D to prevent and treat various cancers.
- Previous studies have investigated the use of vitamin D in combination with cancer immunotherapy.
- Researchers at the University of Manchester have discovered in a mouse model that vitamin D balances the gut microbiome and improves the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.
Over the past few years, several studies have focused on using vitamin D to prevent and treat different types of cancer, including prostate cancer, skin cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer. .
Previous studies have linked high vitamin D levels to a lower risk of developing cancer and lower cancer mortality.
Scientists also
Now, researchers at the Manchester Institute for Cancer Research, University of Manchester, UK, have discovered through a mouse model that vitamin D balances the gut microbiome and improves the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.
This study was recently published in the journal science.
Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that uses the body’s immune system to improve its ability to fight cancer.
Different types of immunotherapy treatments include:
For many years, the U.S. FDA
“Immunotherapies reactivate the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells,” said David E., group leader of the Cancer Immune Surveillance Group at the Manchester Research Institute for Cancer Research, University of Manchester, and lead author of the study. Author Dr. Evangelos Giampazorias explained: Today’s medical news.
“Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of cancer, one of the most deadly cancers.
“However, not all patients respond equally well to this treatment, and only a small group experience long-lasting (effects),” Giampasorias continued. “Understanding when and how our immune system recognizes malignant cells as a threat is therefore critical to designing treatments that increase our ability to eliminate cancer,” he said. added.
Dr. Giampazourias said he and his team were drawn to the fact that the cancer-preventing role of vitamin D is not present in mice treated with antibiotics or kept in sterile environments devoid of live microorganisms. Colleagues said they were intrigued.
“Based on these findings, we hypothesize that vitamin D promotes cancer immunity by influencing the community of ‘friendly’ microorganisms that live within an animal’s body, known as the microbiome. I set it up.
We discovered that vitamin D affects the cells lining the intestines, causing increased levels of bacteria called .
Bacteroides fragilis ”– Dr. Evangelos Giampazorias
According to Giampasorias, Bacteroides fragilis is a member of a larger microbial community that lives in the intestines of mice and humans.
“To determine whether bacteria alone can improve immunity against cancer, experiments were conducted on mice fed a diet containing standard levels of vitamin D. Bacteroides fragilis” Giampasorias said. “These mice showed an improved ability to resist tumor growth. However, this effect was not observed when mice were fed a diet deficient in (a) vitamin D; .”
“how Bacteroides fragilis Overall, our findings demonstrate an unprecedented association between vitamin D and the gut microbiome that influences the immune response to cancer in mice. It’s highlighted. ” he continued. “Further research is needed to confirm the link between vitamin D and cancer immunity in humans.”
After reviewing this study, Anton Bilchik, MD, a surgical oncologist, medical director, and director of the gastrointestinal-hepatobiliary program at Providence St. John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California, said: MNT This is a very important study because doctors knew that vitamin D was important in preventing cancer, but the mechanism was unknown.
Bilchik pointed out:
“This is one of the first studies to suggest that vitamin D affects the bacteria Bacteroides in the body, which in turn affects the immune system and reduces the chance of getting cancer. But even more important What this shows is that immunotherapy is likely to be more effective in the presence of vitamin D. So these are entirely new mechanisms described so far.”
MNT We also spoke with Shama Farooq, MD, MBBS, a neuro-oncologist at the Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at Hackensack Meridian Medical College in New Jersey.
Farooq said these findings suggest a potential link between vitamin D levels, the microbiome, and cancer immunity, opening potential new avenues to improve cancer treatment and prevention strategies. He said he is providing it.
“Cancer is a complex disease with various evasion mechanisms, so continuous research to strengthen the body’s immunity and optimize immunotherapy is important. By exploring new ways to enhance the immune system’s ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells, researchers are developing more effective and targeted treatments, ultimately improving patient outcomes and survival rates. can be improved. ”
Based on this study, readers may wonder if they need to make sure their vitamin D levels are correct to potentially lower their risk of cancer.
Bilchik said it’s important that vitamin D levels are within normal limits, perhaps not just for cancer prevention, but because vitamin D also plays a very important role in bone density and bone loss. , he said.
“Despite the fact that vitamin D plays many important roles and is readily available through plants, meat, and the sun, a surprising number of people are deficient in vitamin D. ” he added.
According to the US National Institutes of Health,
“Based on this study, readers should consider ensuring their vitamin D levels are adequate as part of a comprehensive approach to potentially lowering cancer risk,” Farooq said. said. “While further research is needed to fully understand this relationship, maintaining optimal levels of vitamin D is generally beneficial to overall health and may contribute to reducing cancer risk.”
