UChicago scientists found that trans-vaccenic fatty acid found in beef, lamb and dairy products improves the ability of human immune cells to find and destroy cancer tumors. The research was published in the journal Nature.
Biologists analyzed data from a catalog of nearly 700 known metabolites that enter the human body through food. They tested the most promising compounds for their ability to influence the fight against cancer by activating CD8+ immune T cells, which are critical for killing cancerous or virus-infected cells.
The most effective is trans-vaccenic acid, which is found in breast milk. Feeding mice a diet enriched with this substance significantly reduced the ability of cancerous tumors in the skin and colon to grow. Trans-vaccenic acid increased the ability of CD8+ T cells to infiltrate tumors.
Biologists also examined blood samples from patients treated for lymphoma using CAR-T cell immunotherapy. Patients with higher levels of trans-vaccenic acid tended to respond better to treatment than patients with lower levels. Scientists believe that trans-vaccenic acid could be used as a nutritional supplement to enhance response to immunotherapy in cancer patients, but more research is needed.
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