Patrick Hwu, President and CEO of the Moffitt Cancer Center, shared a post on LinkedIn about recent paper published in Cancer Cell:

“Could a probiotic help more people with colorectal cancer benefit from immunotherapy?

A new study in Cancer Cell found that the probiotic Clostridium butyricum can enhance the effects of anti–PD-1 therapy in colorectal cancer models. It worked by boosting the number and activity of cancer-fighting CD8⁺ T cells and reducing immune-suppressing tumor-associated macrophages.

Researchers at The Chinese University of Hong Kong discovered that a protein on the probiotic’s surface binds to a receptor on tumor cells, switching off signals that promote inflammation and tumor growth. The probiotic also produced butyrate, a beneficial metabolite that further improved immune responses.

Tested in multiple lab and animal models, including patient-derived tumor–immune cell co-cultures, this approach could be developed as an add-on to make immunotherapy more effective for colorectal cancer.”

Title: Tumor-resident probiotic Clostridium butyricum improves aPD-1 efficacy in colorectal cancer models by inhibiting IL-6-mediated immunosuppression

Authors: Mingxu Xie, Kai Yuan, Yongxin Zhang, Yating Zhang, Ruyi Zhang, Jiuhe Gao, Wenchao Wei, Lanping Jiang, Tianhui Li, Yanqiang Ding, Luyao Wang, Yufeng Lin, Chi Chun Wong, Jun Yu