A new study suggests that Vitamin D could play a crucial role in strengthening the immune response to cancer, potentially offering a new edge against tumors in the future. The research, published in the journal Science, was conducted by a team of scientists from the Francis Crick Institute in London, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the USA, and the Danish University of Aalborg.
The study found that laboratory mice fed a diet high in vitamin D showed improved immune resistance to experimentally transplanted tumors and responded better to immunotherapy treatment. This effect was also observed in genetically modified mice with higher levels of vitamin D in their tissues. The researchers discovered that vitamin D interacts with a bacterium called Bacteroides fragilis in the intestine, which ultimately boosts immunity to cancer in mice.
While previous studies have suggested a link between vitamin D deficiency and cancer risk in humans, the evidence has been inconclusive. To further investigate this relationship, the researchers analyzed a dataset from 1.5 million people in Denmark and found a correlation between lower vitamin D levels and a higher risk of cancer.
Additionally, an analysis of cancer patients indicated that individuals with higher levels of vitamin D were more likely to respond well to immunotherapy treatments. Lead author of the study, Caetano Reis and Sousa, explained, “Vitamin D may regulate the gut microbiome to favor a type of bacteria that confers better immunity to cancer. This could potentially have significant implications for cancer treatment in humans in the future. However, more research is needed to definitively establish the benefits of correcting a vitamin D deficiency in preventing or treating cancer.”
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