Cancer Breakthrough: This Fruit Found to Significantly Fuel Tumor-Fighting Immune Cells

A new study shows that a substance found in pomegranates significantly boosts the immune system to fight cancer—triggering a constant supply of endless rejuvenated T cells.

German scientists studying therapies for colorectal cancer discovered that a metabolite in the red fruit, known as urolithin-A, rejuvenates immune T cells to make them better at fighting tumors. . .

A team in Frankfurt led by Professor Florian Greten is now closer to solving the problem. Their discovery shows that urolithin A recycles and renews mitochondria—the so-called power plants inside T cells—through a process known as mitophagy.

When the pomegranate agent is introduced, old and damaged mitochondria in the T cells are removed and replaced by new, functional ones. This changes the genetic make up of the T cells, which are then more capable of fighting the tumor.

“Our findings are particularly exciting because the focus is not on the tumor cell but on the immune system—the natural defense against cancer,” said Dr. Dominic Denk of the Frankfurt University Hospital and first author of the study. (Read more from “Cancer Breakthrough: This Fruit Found to Significantly Fuel Tumor-Fighting Immune Cells” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.