Researchers at Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin (UCD) have found that a yeast-based dietary supplement can strengthen immune cells involved in fighting cancer in mice. In experiments with obese laboratory mice, the researchers found that adding the supplement to the animals' diets changed the way immune cells developed and produced stronger cancer-fighting responses. Obesity can interfere with immune function, making it more difficult for the body to respond effectively to tumors.
The new findings suggest that a yeast-based supplement could potentially help restore some of that lost immune activity. The research was published in the scientific journal Cell Reports. The study was led by Frederick Sheedy, Associate Professor in Immunology in Trinity's School of Biochemistry and Immunology, and Helen Roche, Professor in Nutrigenomics, UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science and Director of the UCD Conway Institute.
Anna Ledwith, postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Roche's group and first author of the research paper, said: "We wanted to investigate whether a common dietary supplement, yeast beta-glucan, could reprogram early-stage immune cells in the bone marrow to produce long-lasting, enhanced anti-tumor immune responses. "Mice were fed a standard or high-fat diet supplemented with yeast beta-glucan for 4-12 weeks, and then their immune system was challenged by different types of cancer cells: colorectal, skin, and breast cancer.
The study also tested whether yeast supplementation could overcome immune dysfunction caused by obesity and whether protective effects persist after weight loss." The researchers wanted to determine whether consuming yeast beta-glucan could produce a form of lasting immune training by changing early immune cells in the bone marrow. They also examined whether the supplement could counter the immune problems caused by obesity. Roche said the findings show for the first time that consuming yeast beta-glucan in the diet is enough to trigger trained immunity by altering bone marrow stem cells.
Earlier studies achieved similar effects using injections. Commenting on the significance of the findings, Prof. Roche added: "This is the first demonstration that dietary delivery of yeast beta-glucan is sufficient to induce trained immunity through reprogramming of bone marrow stem cells.
Previous research required injections. "Crucially, this dietary intervention restores anti-tumor innate immunity in obese mice and reverses long-term immune memory defects that persist even after weight loss, a major unmet clinical challenge." Reversing Immune Problems Linked to Obesity Obesity affects millions of people around the world and can significantly disrupt immune function, increasing susceptibility to both infections and cancer. These immune changes can continue even after a person loses weight.
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