Beef, lamb and dairy products contain a nutrient that improves the cancer-fighting ability of immune cells, according to a study in mice and analysis of patient samples. The work published in the journal Nature indicates that transvaccine acid (TVA), present in the meat and dairy products of grass-fed animals such as cows and sheep, improves the ability of CD8 T cells to infiltrate tumors and eliminate cells. cancerous.
However, this study “should not be taken as an excuse to eat more cheeseburgers and pizza,” says the University of Chicago, a signatory of the work. Rather, it indicates that “nutrient supplements such as TVA could be used to promote T cell activity.”
In addition to testing in mice, the research shows that patients with higher levels of circulating TVA in their blood responded better to immunotherapy, suggesting that it “may have potential as a nutritional supplement to complement clinical cancer treatments.”
The team led by Jing Chen focuses on understanding how metabolites, nutrients and other molecules circulating in the blood influence the development of cancer and the response to oncological treatments. The team created a library of 235 nutrient-derived bioactive molecules and examined their ability to influence anti-tumor immunity by activating CD8 T cells, a group of immune cells critical for eliminating cancerous or virus-infected cells.
The scientists evaluated the six main candidates in human and mouse cells and found that TVA worked best, so they did a series of experiments with cells and mouse models for various types of tumors. Feeding mice a TVA-enriched diet significantly reduced the tumor growth potential of melanoma and colon cancer cells and increased the ability of CD8 T cells to infiltrate tumors.
Finally, they analyzed blood samples from patients undergoing CAR-T cell immunotherapy treatment for lymphoma and those with higher levels of TVA tended to respond better to the treatment than those with lower levels.
The study suggests that TVA could be used as a dietary supplement to aid various T cell-based cancer treatments, although Chen noted that it is "important to determine the optimized amount of the nutrient itself, not the dietary source."
The team points out that there is growing evidence of the harmful health effects of consuming too much red meat and dairy, and adds that there may be other nutrients that do the same. There is preliminary data that suggests which plant nutrients could do the same, the researcher highlighted.
The study is “globally remarkable” and sheds light on the role of specific nutrients in the diet to modulate immune responses, says Nabil Djouder of the National Center for Cancer Research (CNIO), commenting on the research in which he has not participated. But this “does not mean that meat is a protective factor against cancer,” adds Djouder, cited by the Science Media Centre, a scientific resource platform for journalists.
The expert recalls that there are epidemiological studies that show an association and significant risk in humans between the consumption of red or processed meat and the development of cancer, especially colorectal cancer. The important thing is to consider “a balanced diet, including a variety of foods from different groups to ensure adequate intake of essential nutrients.”
