Vitamin D plays different roles and is easily available through the sun, meat and plants. Despite this, many individuals are vitamin D deficient. Different studies have looked into the use of vitamin D for the prevention and treatment of different cancers, including bowel, breast, skin and prostate cancer. Prior studies have linked high levels of vitamin D to decreased cancer mortality rate and reduced risk of developing cancer.
In addition, researchers have explored vitamin D use in conjunction with immunotherapy. This type of treatment uses the patient’s immune system to improve its ability to eliminate cancer cells. Immunotherapy treatments include immune system modulators, immune checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, adoptive cell therapies and cancer vaccines.
Now, scientists from the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute have determined that vitamin D helps balance the gut microbiota, enhancing how immunotherapies work. The study’s lead author, Evangelos Giampazolias, stated that immunotherapy stimulated the immune system to eliminate cancer cells, noting that it had revolutionized the treatment of metastatic melanoma, a fatal form of cancer.
Giampazolias noted that not every patient responded to this treatment, with only some experiencing long-lasting benefits.
The scientists used mice models for their study, which was designed to find out whether the bacteria, Bacteroides fragilis, could improve cancer immunity. The researchers began by putting the mice on a diet with standard vitamin D levels. Once this was done, they administered Bacteroides fragilis to the mice, observing enhanced ability to resist tumor growth. Bacteroides fragilis are microorganisms that inhabit the intestines of humans and mice.
From their findings, the scientists theorized that vitamin D promoted cancer immunity by influencing gut microbiome. They explained that vitamin D influenced cells along the intestine, which brought about an increase in Bacteroides fragilis levels.
In their report, the researchers stated that this wasn’t observed in mice whose diets were vitamin D deficient. They also explained that while it wasn’t clear how the bacteria promoted anticancer immunity, the findings highlight a link between gut microbiota and vitamin D that influenced immune responses to cancer in mice.
Shama Farooq, a neuro-oncologist at Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute, stated that more studies were needed to understand the link between vitamin D and anticancer immunity. He also observed that it was still important to maintain optimal vitamin D levels because it was beneficial for an individual’s overall health and could contribute to lowering the risk of developing cancer.
The study’s findings were reported in the “Science” journal.
These new insights into the ways in which vitamin D could enhance immunotherapy against cancer may be of great interest to companies such as Scinai Immunotherapeutics Ltd. (NASDAQ: SCNI) that are investing in the development of immunotherapy solutions against different forms of cancer and infectious diseases.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Scinai Immunotherapeutics Ltd. (NASDAQ: SCNI) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/SCNI
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