A groundbreaking study published in Science journal has uncovered a potential benefit in using Vitamin D to enhance resistance to cancer.
Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute, the US National Cancer Institute, and Aalborg University in Denmark found that mice on a high Vitamin D diet showed a stronger immune response to experimentally transplanted cancer tumors and an improved reaction to immunotherapy.
The effects were observed even after removing the gene encoding the protein that binds with Vitamin D in the blood, which prevents its entry into the body’s cells.
Vitamin D impacts the epithelial cells of the intestine, which in turn promotes the proliferation of Bacteroides fragilis bacteria. To examine the role of such microorganisms in cancer protection, laboratory mice on a regular diet were supplemented with Bacteroides fragilis. This led to an enhanced capacity to restrain tumor growth, an effect that diminished when the mice were switched to a Vitamin D deficient diet.
Additionally, the scientists analyzed data from 1.5 million people in Denmark, identifying a correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of developing cancer.
Further research is now planned to ascertain whether Vitamin D can provide immune protection against cancer in humans through the same mechanisms observed in rodents.
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