Artificial Sweetener's Impact on Cancer Treatment Efficiency Highlighted in New Study
In a groundbreaking study published in Cancer Discovery, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center have found a link between the artificial sweetener sucralose and the success of cancer immunotherapy.
Preclinical studies in mice demonstrated that sucralose impaired the tumor response to immunotherapy, leading to larger tumors and shorter survival. This effect is thought to occur through sucralose-induced changes in the gut microbiome, which negatively impact T-cell function crucial for immunotherapy efficacy.
In clinical observations involving 132 patients receiving immunotherapy or chemoimmunotherapy, those consuming more than 0.16 mg/kg/day of sucralose showed inferior responses to treatment and shorter progression-free survival. The patient data align with the mouse model findings, strengthening the link between sucralose intake and diminished immunotherapy outcomes.
The researchers traced the effect to changes in the gut microbiome that reduce levels of arginine, an amino acid critical for T cell function. Interestingly, supplementing the mice's water with arginine or citrulline (which the body converts to arginine) reversed the negative effects of sucralose.
Current evidence suggests that sucralose consumption may reduce the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy in patients with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer. For advanced melanoma, patients in the low-sucralose group went a median of five months longer without their cancer progressing. Similarly, in high-risk melanoma after surgery, the low-sucralose group stayed cancer-free for six months longer.
The researchers hope to explore whether other sweeteners, like aspartame, saccharin, xylitol, and stevia, have similar effects. They also plan to test citrulline in clinical trials, since it may raise arginine levels more effectively.
This research provides a promising potential intervention that could be tested in clinical trials to help patients who consume sucralose during cancer treatment. It is crucial for patients undergoing cancer immunotherapy to be aware of their sucralose intake and consider reducing or eliminating it from their diet, as advised by their healthcare providers.
[1] University of Pittsburgh, "Artificial sweetener sucralose may impair cancer immunotherapy effectiveness, study finds." ScienceDaily, 30 March 2023. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230330120711.htm [2] Chen, J., et al. "Sucralose impairs the antitumor response to cancer immunotherapy through gut microbiota-mediated arginine depletion." Cancer Discovery, 30 March 2023. [3] National Cancer Institute, "Immunotherapy for Cancer." www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunotherapy [4] Food and Drug Administration, "Sucralose." www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/food-additives/ucm064694.htm [5] National Institutes of Health, "Cancer Immunotherapy Trials." www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunotherapy/patient/immunotherapy-treatment-pdq#section/_366
- The study published in Cancer Discovery has found a link between the artificial sweetener, sucralose, and the success of cancer immunotherapy.
- The researchers discovered that sucralose-induced changes in the gut microbiome negatively impact T-cell function, which is crucial for immunotherapy efficacy.
- Current evidence suggests that sucralose consumption may reduce the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy in patients with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer.
- For advanced melanoma, patients in the low-sucralose group went a median of five months longer without their cancer progressing.
- The researchers plan to test citrulline in clinical trials, since it may raise arginine levels more effectively and potentially reverse the negative effects of sucralose on cancer immunotherapy outcomes.
