Unhealthy diets boost immunotherapy in mice, likely via gut bacteria
In a twist, researchers found that some unhealthy diets actually helped cancer immunotherapy work better in mice.
These diets seemed to boost the immune system's attack on cancer cells, likely because of how they change gut bacteria.
The study was published in Nature and backed by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Terry Fox Research Institute, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and philanthropic supporters including La Vie en Rose and the Bachynski Family Foundation.
Daniela Quail warns against unhealthy diets
The team explored the obesity paradox, where some patients with higher BMI respond better to treatment, but it turns out diet and gut microbes play a bigger role than weight alone.
Still, Daniela Quail, who co-led the research, warns that people shouldn't start eating unhealthy foods to fight cancer, since those risks outweigh any possible benefits.
The real goal is finding safer ways to make immunotherapy more effective without harming overall health.