April 30, 2024

Omega-3 Supplementation Could Boost Immunotherapy’s Cancer-Fighting Power

” Dietary interventions can be effective tools since they are low-cost and fairly basic to execute,” said Abigail Kelly, a research assistant at Harvard Medical Schools Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “Our findings reveal that omega-3 supplements has the prospective to broadly enhance immunotherapy and other anti-cancer drugs in the scientific setting.”
Kelly will provide the brand-new research study at the American Society for Investigative Pathology annual conference throughout the Experimental Biology (EB) 2022 meeting, to be hung on April 2-5, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Research study from various labs has actually suggested that omega-3 fatty acids can help in reducing cancer risk whereas consuming excessive omega-6 fats can promote cancer. Sources of omega-3s include fish, nuts, and seeds while omegas-6s are found in meats, eggs, and other foods.
Omega-3 supplements improves the effectiveness of immunotherapy in subcutaneous murine MB49 bladder cancer growths. Credit: Abigail Kelly, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School
In the new research studies, Kelly and senior author Dipak Panigraphy wanted to discover out how diet plans supplemented with these fatty acids affected the anti-tumor activity of immune checkpoint blockade immunotherapy and an anti-inflammatory therapy that hinders the enzyme soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH). The immunotherapy has regulatory approval and is being utilized scientifically while the anti-inflammatory therapy is going through scientific development.
The researchers utilized state-of-the-art mouse models of metastatic and main growths for the new research study. They began by feeding the mice either a basic diet plan or a diet plan high in omega-3 or 6 for 10 days prior to growth injection and throughout of the research studies. One week after the growths were injected, mice in each diet plan group were started on immunotherapy, anti-inflammatory treatment, both treatments together, or no treatment.
Omega-3 supplements in combination with inhibition of sEH enhances the efficacy of immunotherapy in subcutaneous murine Lewis Lung Carcinoma tumors. Credit: Abigail Kelly, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School
The researchers found that dietary omega-3 fat supplements obstructed tumor growth in mice treated with immunotherapy, sEH inhibitor, or both treatments utilized together. In contrast, mice on the high-omega-6 diet and provided immunotherapy experienced accelerated tumor growth in specific tumor types.
In mice receiving the high omega-3 diet plan and both cancer treatments, as much as 67 percent of tumor development was hindered compared to mice getting no treatment and a typical diet. This shows possible synergistic anti-tumor activity, meaning that the combined result may be higher than the amount of its parts.
” We demonstrated, for the first time, that the combination of immunotherapy and anti-inflammatory treatment (sEHi) was more effective when mice were fed diets enriched with omega-3 fatty acids,” stated Kelly. “This is really appealing since dietary supplements is easy to implement for cancer clients and can be included for patients already on immunotherapy.”
The researchers are now performing extra research studies to figure out the system of action of the potentially synergistic anti-tumor activity imparted by omega-3 supplements. They are performing these research studies with human cancer tissues and cells, human immune cells, and animal designs to aid with translation to cancer clients. These new results from Kelly and coworkers might represent a brand-new treatment approach that remains to be assessed in people.
Abigail Kelly will provide this research study from 11:45 a.m.– 12:45 p.m., Monday, April 4, in Exhibit/Poster Hall A-B, Pennsylvania Convention Center (Poster Board Number D32) (abstract). This work will be featured in a virtual interview from 11– 11:45 a.m. EDT on Friday, April 1 (RSVP by Thursday, March 31). Contact the media group for additional information or to acquire a complimentary press pass to attend the meeting.
Satisfying: Experimental Biology 2022

The scientists used cutting edge mouse models of primary and metastatic tumors for the new research study. They began by feeding the mice either a basic diet plan or a diet plan high in omega-3 or 6 for 10 days prior to growth injection and for the period of the research studies. One week after the growths were injected, mice in each diet group were started on immunotherapy, anti-inflammatory treatment, both treatments together, or no treatment.
The scientists are now performing extra research studies to figure out the mechanism of action of the possibly synergistic anti-tumor activity imparted by omega-3 supplements. They are conducting these research studies with human cancer tissues and cells, human immune cells, and animal designs to help with translation to cancer clients.

When mice taken in omega-3s, immunotherapy and anti-inflammatory therapy were more effective.
Findings from a new research study performed in mice suggest that omega-3 fatty acids might assist immunotherapy and other treatments do a better job at combating cancer. Immunotherapies, which stimulate the bodys own body immune system to attack cancer, have actually revolutionized cancer treatment, but they dont work for every client.