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A simple supplement could help your immune system fight cancer and viral infections
Science Daily • • general
Key Points:
- New research from Rockefeller University shows that restoring arginine levels in mice reduces colon cancer tumor formation and lessens severity of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, even improving outcomes when given after infection.
- Arginine scarcity impairs production of MHC-I proteins, crucial for immune cells to recognize cancerous or infected cells, by causing ribosomes to stall during protein assembly, thus weakening immune detection.
- Mice on arginine-rich diets developed fewer colon tumors and experienced milder viral symptoms, indicating that adequate arginine supports immune defenses against both cancer and viral infections.
- The study suggests that arginine supplementation, which is inexpensive and widely available, could potentially enhance cancer immunotherapies and help protect high-risk populations from viral diseases, though human trials are needed.
- Researchers highlight that declining arginine levels with age and poor nutrition may contribute to weakened immunity, and that dietary manipulation of amino acids might broadly influence immune function and disease outcomes.
