Dietary fiber and probiotics influence the gut microbiome and melanoma immunotherapy response
BP and MC38 growth kinetics from replicate probiotic experiments
This inspiring research by Spencer et al. studied the effect of a dietary fiber and probiotics on the gut microbiome and melanoma immunotherapy response.
Gut bacteria modulate the response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment in cancer, but the effect of diet and supplements on this interaction is not well studied. In this study, they assessed fecal microbiota profiles, dietary habits, and commercially available probiotic supplement use in melanoma patients and performed parallel preclinical studies.
Higher dietary fiber significantly improved progression-free survival in 128 patients on ICB, with the most pronounced benefit observed in patients with sufficient dietary fiber intake and no probiotic use. Findings were recapitulated in preclinical models, which demonstrated impaired treatment response to anti–programmed cell death 1 (anti–PD-1)–based therapy in mice receiving a low-fiber diet or probiotics, with a lower frequency of interferon-γ–positive cytotoxic T cells in the tumor microenvironment.
Keep on track, this topic and many more will be handled in the 9th World Congress on Targeting Microbiota 2022, to be held in France.
Authors: Spencer et al.
