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Vitamin D regulates microbiome-dependent cancer immunity
Evangelos Giampazolias1,2, Mariana Pereira da Costa1, Khiem C Lam3
1Immunobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 25, 2024
Summary
Vitamin D enhances the immune system's ability to fight cancer and improves responses to immunotherapy. This effect is linked to changes in gut bacteria, suggesting vitamin D impacts cancer immunity.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Microbiome Research
Background:
- Vitamin D is known to modulate immune responses.
- A potential role for vitamin D in cancer has been proposed.
- The interplay between vitamin D, the microbiome, and cancer immunity is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of increased vitamin D availability on cancer resistance and immunotherapy response in mice.
- To explore the correlation between vitamin D-induced genes and cancer immunity in humans.
- To elucidate the mechanisms by which vitamin D influences cancer immunity.
Main Methods:
- Administering vitamin D to mice and assessing their resistance to transplantable cancers.
- Evaluating the response of mice to checkpoint blockade immunotherapies with altered vitamin D levels.
- Analyzing gene expression related to vitamin D in human cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy.
- Investigating the role of intestinal epithelial cells and microbiome composition in mediating vitamin D's effects.
Main Results:
- Mice with higher vitamin D levels showed increased resistance to cancer and better responses to immunotherapy.
- Vitamin D-induced genes in humans correlated with improved outcomes in immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
- Vitamin D's effect in mice was mediated by intestinal epithelial cells, promoting *Bacteroides fragilis*.
- *Bacteroides fragilis* positively regulated cancer immunity.
Conclusions:
- Vitamin D enhances immune-dependent cancer resistance and immunotherapy efficacy.
- Vitamin D influences cancer immunity through alterations in the gut microbiome, specifically favoring *Bacteroides fragilis*.
- Vitamin D levels may be a critical factor in determining cancer immunity and the success of immunotherapies.
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