Obesity weakens anti-tumor immune response in lung cancer, but exercise may restore it
Obesity can weaken the immune system's tumor-killing responses in lung cancer, leading to disease progression, but a new study by experts at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center reveals that exercise may reverse this effect.
A new study from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center indicates that obesity can weaken the immune system's ability to fight tumors in lung cancer patients, but exercise may help counteract this effect. The researchers compared the impact of exercise on tumors and immune cells in four groups of mice: lean mice with or without lung cancer, and obese mice with or without lung cancer.
Obese mice, whether healthy or with lung cancer, that exercised had fewer regulatory T cells, which suppress the immune system's ability to target tumors, and more CD8+ T cells, which can directly destroy tumor cells. Tumors grew more slowly in the mice that exercised, even those with lung cancer.
The study also analyzed lung cancer samples from 73 patients, finding that those who exercised had fewer Tregs and fewer fat-enhanced myeloid cells in their lung tissue compared to sedentary patients. Myeloid cells play a role in suppressing the immune system's tumor-killing response. The researchers conclude that exercise could serve as a noninvasive, cost-free complement to cancer treatment, potentially improving outcomes by enhancing the immune system's ability to fight tumors.
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