A study from the University of Chicago has revealed that a fatty acid called trans-vaccenic acid (TVA) found in meat and dairy products could enhance the effectiveness of CD8+ T cells in fighting cancer. High TVA levels have been linked to better responses to immunotherapy, suggesting that it could have potential as a supplementary cancer treatment.
The study, published in the journal Nature, suggests that TVA, a long-chain fatty acid found in beef, lamb, and dairy products from grazing animals such as cows and sheep, can improve the ability of CD8+ T cells to infiltrate tumors and kill cancer cells.
Furthermore, patients with higher levels of TVA circulating in their blood responded better to immunotherapy, indicating that it could be used as a nutritional supplement to complement clinical treatments for cancer.
The researchers found that TVA improves the ability of T cells to fight tumors by activating an important immune pathway. The study’s author, Jing Chen, PhD, explained, “There are many studies trying to decipher the link between diet and human health, and it’s very difficult to understand the underlying mechanisms because of the wide variety of foods people eat. But if we focus on just the nutrients and metabolites derived from food, we begin to see how they influence physiology and pathology.”
The study also suggests that TVA could be used as a dietary supplement to support various T cell-based cancer treatments. However, the researchers emphasize the importance of determining the optimized amount of the nutrient itself, rather than promoting the consumption of red meat and dairy products.
The team also hopes to build a comprehensive library of nutrients circulating in the blood to understand their impact on immunity and other biological processes like aging in the future.