PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Chemotherapy: When our intestinal bacteria provide reinforcement

2013-11-22
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Laurence Zitvogel
laurence.zitvogel@igr.fr
INSERM (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale)
Chemotherapy: When our intestinal bacteria provide reinforcement Indeed, the researchers have just shown that the efficacy of one of the molecules most often used in chemotherapy relies to an extent on its capacity to mobilise certain bacteria from the intestinal flora toward the bloodstream and lymph nodes. Once inside the lymph nodes, these bacteria stimulate fresh immune defences which then enhance the body's ability to fight the malignant tumour.

Results of this work are published in the journal Science on 22 November 2013.

The intestinal microbiota is made up of 100,000 billion bacteria. It is a genuine organ, since the bacterial species that comprise it carry out functions crucial to our health, such as the elimination of substances that are foreign to the body (and potentially toxic), or keeping the pathogens that contaminate us at bay. They also ensure the degradation of ingested food, for better intestinal absorption and optimal metabolism. These millions of bacteria colonise the intestine from birth, and play a key role in the maturation of the immune defences.

However, the bacterial species that make up the intestinal microbiota vary from one individual to another, and the presence or absence of one or another bacterial species seems to influence the occurrence of some diseases, or, conversely, may protect us.

In the cancer area, the French team directed by Prof Laurence Zitvogel, Director of Inserm Unit 1015, "Tumour Immunology and Immunotherapy," at Institut Gustave Roussy, in close collaboration with Institut Pasteur (Dr Ivo Gomperts Boneca, "Biology and Genetics of the Bacterial Cell Wall" Unit) and researchers at INRA (Drs Patricia Lepage and Joël Doré, Micalis Unit, "Food Microbiology in the Service of Health"), has just provided evidence that the intestinal flora stimulates an individual's immune responses to combat cancer during chemotherapy.

Cyclophosphamide is one of the most widely used drugs in chemotherapy. However, like any treatment, it involves side effects (inflammation of the mucosa etc.), and disrupts the normal balance of the intestinal microbiota. Certain bacteria (of the Gram+ group of bacteria) can pass the intestinal barrier and enter the bloodstream and lymph nodes.

These bacteria, once in the general circulation of the body, may be considered harmful, and the body generates an immune response.

"This chain reaction, a side effect of the treatment, actually turns out to be very useful," explains Laurence Zitvogel. "Surprisingly, the immune response directed against these bacteria helps the patient to better fight his/her tumour, by stimulating fresh immune defence mechanisms."

More specifically, immunisation against bacteria leads to the recruitment of effector lymphocytes different to those mobilised by chemotherapy. Their role consists of helping anti-tumour lymphocytes to stem the growth of tumours.

To verify these observations in mice, researchers suppressed all Gram+ bacteria from their intestinal microbiota. Results showed that the efficacy of the chemotherapy was reduced. The researchers also suggest that some antibiotics used during chemotherapy may destroy these Gram+ bacteria, and thus negate their beneficial effect.

"Now that these "beneficial" bacteria that potentiate the anti-tumour immune response have been identified, we should soon succeed in supplying more to the body, especially via pro- or prebiotics and/or a specific diet," the researcher concludes.

### This work has received support from the French National Cancer League, the French National Cancer Institute (lNCa; SIRIC SOCRATES) and from LABEX Onco-Immunology

Source: The intestinal microbiota modulates the anticancer immune effects of cyclophosphamide Sophie Viaud1,3, Fabiana Saccheri1, Grégoire Mignot4,5, Takahiro Yamazaki1, Romain Daillère1,3, Dalil Hannani1, David P. Enot7,8, Christina Pfirschke9, Camilla Engblom9, Mikael J. Pittet9, Andreas Schlitzer10, Florent Ginhoux10, Lionel Apetoh4,5, Elisabeth Chachaty11, Paul-Louis Woerther11, Gérard Eberl12, Marion Bérard13, Chantal Ecobichon14,15, Dominique Clermont16, Chantal Bizet16, Valérie Gaboriau-Routhiau17,18, Nadine Cerf-Bensussan17,18, Paule Opolon19,20, Nadia Yessaad21-24, Eric Vivier21-24, Bernhard Ryffel25, Charles O. Elson26, Joël Doré17,27, Guido Kroemer7,8,28-30, Patricia Lepage17,27, Ivo Gomperts Boneca14,15 François Ghiringhelli4-6† and Laurence Zitvogel1-3*† Science November 2013 http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1240537


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Political correctness could affect holiday weight gain

2013-11-22
Political correctness could affect holiday weight gain Fear of offending can result in poor diet choices, says Duke study DURHAM, N.C. -- It's that time of year when Americans start focusing on holiday celebrations, many of which will involve high-calorie food. As the festivities ...

NASA sees Cyclone Helen making landfall in eastern India

2013-11-22
NASA sees Cyclone Helen making landfall in eastern India NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Cyclone Helen as it was making landfall in eastern India on November 22. The AIRS instrument, or Atmospheric Infrared Sounder that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite, ...

NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Alessia form, threaten western Australia

2013-11-22
NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Alessia form, threaten western Australia The low pressure area previously known as System 90S has continued organizing and consolidating and infrared data from NASA's Aqua satellite helped confirm its strengthening into Cyclone Alessia ...

An inside look at a MOF in action

2013-11-22
An inside look at a MOF in action Berkeley Lab researchers probe into electronic structure of MOF may lead to improved capturing of greenhouse gases A unique inside look at the electronic structure of a highly touted metal-organic framework (MOF) ...

Extra-Tropical Storm Melissa spinning into history

2013-11-22
Extra-Tropical Storm Melissa spinning into history The National Hurricane Center issued their final advisory on Extra-Tropical Storm Melissa as it spins toward to Azores Islands and weakens. The final advisory on Melissa was issued on November 22 at 0300 UTC, ...

Certain measures can help predict older dialysis patients' prognoses

2013-11-22
Certain measures can help predict older dialysis patients' prognoses Patients receiving high intensity care when dialysis is initiated have shorter survival times and eventually need more intensive procedures Adults age 65 years and older represent half of the patients ...

IceCube pushes neutrinos to the forefront of astronomy

2013-11-22
IceCube pushes neutrinos to the forefront of astronomy MADISON, Wis. – The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a particle detector buried in the Antarctic ice, is a demonstration of the power of the human passion for discovery, where scientific ...

2 Y genes can replace the entire Y chromosome for assisted reproduction in mice

2013-11-22
2 Y genes can replace the entire Y chromosome for assisted reproduction in mice The Y chromosome is a symbol of maleness, present only in males and encoding genes important for male reproduction. But live mouse offspring can be generated with assisted reproduction ...

Monster gamma-ray burst in our cosmic neighborhood

2013-11-22
Monster gamma-ray burst in our cosmic neighborhood Gamma-ray bursts are violent bursts of gamma radiation associated with exploding massive stars. For the first time ever, researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute, among others, have observed ...

'The era of neutrino astronomy has begun'

2013-11-22
'The era of neutrino astronomy has begun' In a first, IceCube observatory at the South Pole tracks cosmic neutrinos COLLEGE PARK, MD – Astrophysicists using a telescope embedded in Antarctic ice have succeeded in a quest to detect and record the mysterious phenomena known ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

People with sensitive personalities more likely to experience mental health problems

Want to improve early detection of diabetes? Look in the same households as those with abnormal blood sugar

Unveiling the gut-heart connection: The role of microbiota in heart failure

Breakthrough insights into tumor angiogenesis and endothelial cell origins

Unlocking the power of mitochondrial biogenesis to combat acute kidney injury

MIT study sheds light on graphite’s lifespan in nuclear reactors

The role of fucosylation in digestive diseases and cancer

Meet Allie, the AI-powered chess bot trained on data from 91 million games

Students’ image tool offers sharper signs, earlier detection in the lab or from space

UBC Okanagan study suggests fasting effects on the body are not the same for everyone

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Children’s Hospital Colorado researchers conduct first prospective study of pediatric EoE patients and disease progression

Harnessing VR to prevent substance use relapse

The 8,000-year history recorded in Great Salt Lake sediments

To craft early tools, ancient human relatives transported stones over long distances 600,000 years earlier than previously thought

Human embryo implantation recorded in real time for the first time

70 years of data show adaptation reducing Europe’s flood losses

Recapitulating egg and sperm development in the dish

Study reveals benefits of traditional Himalayan crops

Scientist uncover hidden immune “hubs” that drive joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis

Congress of Neurological Surgeons releases first guidelines on the care of patients with functioning pituitary adenomas

New discovery could lower heart attack and stroke risk for people with type 2 diabetes

Tumor electrophysiology in precision tumor therapy

AI revolution in medicine: how large language models are transforming drug development

Hidden contamination in DNA extraction kits threatens accuracy of global zoonotic surveillance

Slicing and dictionaries: a new approach to medical big data

60 percent of the world’s land area is in a precarious state

Thousands of kids in mental health crisis are stuck for days in hospital emergency rooms, study finds

Prices and affordability of essential medicines in 72 low-, middle-, and high-income markets

Space mice babies

FastUKB: A revolutionary tool for simplifying UK Biobank data analysis

[Press-News.org] Chemotherapy: When our intestinal bacteria provide reinforcement