Focusing on the 'obesity paradox' to improve cancer treatment success
In research published in the journal Nature, McGill University researchers looked at the relationship between diet, the gut microbiome and patient response to immune checkpoint blockade. To their surprise, certain diets often considered "unhealthy" or "fattening" were associated with better responses to a type of cancer immunotherapy.
Researchers from McGill University have uncovered a surprising link between certain diets often considered unhealthy or fattening, and improved responses to cancer immunotherapy. In a study published in Nature, scientists found that the composition of gut bacteria, influenced by diet, plays a crucial role in determining treatment success.
"We were surprised by the benefit of some obesogenic diets," explained lead researcher Daniela Quail, a professor at McGill University's Department of Physiology and principal investigator at the Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute. She emphasized that the relationship between diet and cancer treatment is more complex than a simple message to eat healthily and exercise.
The study, conducted on mice, involved testing 12 different diets. Researchers discovered that some diet types associated with obesity led to better immunotherapy responses, even after shorter exposure times. This finding challenges the conventional understanding that obesity is primarily associated with higher cancer incidence and mortality.
"While obesity is generally linked to higher cancer incidence and mortality, several studies have shown that cancer patients with a higher body mass index (BMI) often respond better to immune checkpoint inhibitors," Quail noted. The researchers aim to identify the specific factors driving the effect on the gut microbiome and harness this knowledge to enhance cancer treatments.
The study's findings provide insights into the emerging "obesity paradox" in cancer research. While obesity is typically associated with higher cancer rates and mortality, the new study suggests that the link between obesity and immunotherapy efficacy may be more closely tied to diet and gut bacteria interactions than to body weight alone.
"It appears that the relationship between obesity and immunotherapy may have less to do with body weight and more to do with how diet and gut bacteria work together to influence the immune system," Quail concluded. However, researchers stress that these findings do not justify the adoption of weight-promoting diets during cancer treatment due to their well-known health risks.
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