New research conducted in mice and humans finds the artificial sweetener sucralose changes gut bacteria in ways that can limit immunotherapy response in cancer patients.
An artificial sweetener commonly found in diet sodas, baked goods, dairy products and chewing gum may hamper certain immunotherapy treatments in cancer patients.
Researchers conducted two studies investigating the impact of sucralose on immunotherapy response… one in mice, the other in humans.
In both cases, researchers say sucralose changed the gut microbiome, reducing levels of a key amino acid called 60 arginine. And without enough arginine, disease-fighting T-cells were unable to function properly, making immunotherapy less effective.
The preclinical trial was conducted on mice bred to have adenocarcinoma or melanoma.
According to the results, mice given sucralose while receiving a powerful immunotherapy called anti-PD1 had larger tumors and poorer survival… compared to mice never exposed to the sweetener.
The human trial included 132 adults with advanced melanoma or lung cancer who received anti-PD1 alone or in combination with chemotherapy.
“We found that sucralose impeded the effectiveness of immunotherapies across a range of cancer types, stages and treatment modalities,” said Diwakar Davar, MD, University of Pittsburgh.
But researchers found a possible solution. When they fed arginine or citrulline supplements to the mice, response rates returned to normal levels.
The lead author, Abby Overacre, PhD, University of Pittsburgh, says finding a simple fix is important for patients undergoing treatment.
She says, “…they are already dealing with enough, so asking them to drastically alter their diet may not be realistic.”
A larger trial is planned to determine whether citrulline supplements can reverse the potential effects of sucralose on cancer immunotherapy.
Source: Cancer Discovery
Author Affiliations: University of Pittsburgh, University of California, SF
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