Metabolites produced by gut bacteria during digestion can be used to trigger an immune response against colorectal cancer cells, according to new University of Alberta research that points toward a potential treatment for one of the deadliest forms of cancer.
The research team found that the metabolites activate a molecule on the surface of the cancer cells that attracts immune cells, called T cells. The metabolites are also able to enter the nucleus of the cancer cells and alter their DNA, which further attracts the attention of the immune system.
"What we saw is that these products regulate a key molecule on the tumour cells that T cells directly interact with, so it provides a way for the T cells to detect that the tumour cell is there, that there's something wrong and that they want to eliminate it," explains Kristi Baker, associate professor in the departments of oncology and medical microbiology and immunology.
"The products were also making changes in the cell's gene expression, which co-ordinates interactions between the cancer cells and the immune system," says Baker.
Colorectal cancer is the second most lethal cancer for men and third for women, according to the Canadian Cancer Society, which estimates 9,400 Canadians died from it in 2022.
