Posted on 04/07/2023 5:53:08 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
In mice with melanoma, probiotic bacteria travel from the gut and establish in tumors, where they directly stimulate immune cells to make cancer immunotherapy more effective, according to a study.
The study showed Lactobacillus reuteri stimulates cancer-killing T cells by secreting a compound called indole-3-aldehyde, or I3A. When the researchers gave mice a diet rich in the amino acid tryptophan—which the bacteria convert to I3A—immunotherapy drugs had a stronger effect on restraining tumor size and prolonging survival.
Several recent studies have found a link between probiotic supplements and immunotherapy response in melanoma patients.
Compared to control mice, those given L. reuteri had greater quantities of more potent CD8, or "killer," T cells at the tumor site, the tumors shrank more, and the mice lived longer.
And the effects of L. reuteri weren't limited to melanoma. In mouse models of adenocarcinoma, fibrosarcoma and breast cancer, the bacterium similarly moved to tumors beyond the gut and suppressed cancer growth.
Delving deeper, the researchers showed that L. reuteri stimulates immunity in tumors by producing I3A, which activates a receptor in CD8 cells. Although the receptor is found in almost every cell in the body, I3A acts specifically on CD8 cells to enhance their cancer-killing abilities.
Meisel teamed up with Diwakar Davar, M.D. Previously, they found that modifying gut bacteria via fecal transplants improved immunotherapy response in melanoma patients.
Analyzing blood samples from melanoma patients undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment, the researchers found that patients who responded well to immunotherapy had elevated I3A levels. Higher levels of I3A before treatment were also associated with a better chance of survival.
L. reuteri requires tryptophan—an amino acid—to make I3A. A diet high in tryptophan also enhanced the effect of immunotherapy on shrinking tumors.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Swanson Vitamins has one like that, and another called “Epic Pro” that has it as just a part of the formula. Nature’s Way Reuteri was the version we used to always buy, and it passed independent tests.
Feed it a higher tryptophan food source, and it could help you, as well, as this study suggests.
I wonder whether cancer runs in families. We’ve never had it in ours. Knock on wood.
Probiotics are easy. I drink Kombucha every night with dinner and have yogurt with fruit for dessert. Yummy and cheap.
as per nebula genetics:
STUDY DESCRIPTION
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. This study compared ~36,000 melanoma patients with ~375,000 healthy individuals of European descent and identified 68 genetic variants in 54 different genomic regions. The study also found associations between melanoma risk and lighter skin color as well as a larger number of moles on the body. One of the regions associated with both melanoma and moles is near the PARP1 gene, a DNA repair gene that helps control the melanoma causing gene MITF. Another variant was associated with the HLA region, which suggests a role for immunity in the development of skin cancer. Other genes were involved in telomere maintenance. The genomic regions discovered in this study collectively explain ~8.5% of melanoma risk heritability.
A message from the boss:
04/07/23 | Jim Robinson
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