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Oat-β-glucan potentiates anti-PD-1 efficacy through Faecalibacterium prausnitzii-derived butyrate and

Shuaishuai Yang1, Haojie Lu1, Min Jin2

  • 1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China.

Cell Host & Microbe
|May 29, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Oat-β-glucan enhances immunotherapy by boosting the gut bacterium Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. This increases anti-tumor immune cell activity and improves responses in colorectal cancer patients.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Microbiology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • The gut microbiota significantly influences responses to immune checkpoint blockade therapies like anti-PD-1.
  • Developing actionable strategies to modulate the microbiota for enhanced immunotherapy efficacy is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether oat-β-glucan can enhance anti-PD-1 therapy efficacy.
  • To identify the mechanisms by which oat-β-glucan modulates the gut microbiota and anti-tumor immunity.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized murine models treated with anti-PD-1, oat-β-glucan, or Faecalibacterium prausnitzii.
  • Performed metabolomic analysis to identify key microbial metabolites.
  • Assessed immune cell infiltration and activation within tumors.
  • Analyzed a colorectal cancer patient cohort and conducted a human intervention study.

Main Results:

  • Oat-β-glucan selectively expanded F. prausnitzii, enhancing anti-PD-1 efficacy.
  • Combined therapy increased intratumoral dendritic cell and CD8+ T cell infiltration and activation.
  • F. prausnitzii-derived metabolites, butyrate and indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), were identified as key mediators.
  • Higher F. prausnitzii abundance and elevated butyrate/IPA correlated with better anti-PD-1 responses in patients.
  • Human studies confirmed oat-β-glucan's safety and its ability to increase butyrate, IPA, and modulate F. prausnitzii.

Conclusions:

  • Oat-β-glucan primes tumors for immunotherapy sensitization by modulating the gut microbiota-metabolite-immune axis.
  • F. prausnitzii-derived butyrate and IPA enhance anti-tumor immunity through dendritic cell activation and CD8+ T cell potentiation.
  • This highlights a novel therapeutic strategy combining dietary components with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Keywords:
Faecalibacterium prausnitziiPD-1 blockade immunotherapyantitumor immunitybutyrateindole-3-propionic acidoat-β-glucan

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