WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Sucralose, a common sugar substitute used in diet products, may interfere with cancer immunotherapy, according to a research team from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
The study, published in Cancer Discovery, looked at patients with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer. Those who consumed a lot of sucralose had worse responses to immunotherapy and lower survival rates compared to patients who ate less of the sweetener.
During experiments on mouse, the scientists noted that sucralose disrupted gut bacteria, increasing species that break down arginine. This led to lower arginine levels in the blood and around tumors. Since arginine is crucial for T cells, the immune cells that target and kill cancer cells, this makes immunotherapy less effective. The mice had larger tumors and worse survival outcomes. When researchers gave the mice arginine or citrulline supplements, the immunotherapy started working again.
To see if this also happens in humans, the team studied 132 patients with advanced melanoma or lung cancer. They analyzed their diets and found that frequent sucralose consumption was linked to poorer treatment results.
'It's easy to say, 'Stop drinking diet soda,' but when patients are being treated for cancer, they are already dealing with enough, so asking them to drastically alter their diet may not be realistic,' said lead author Abby Overacre.
'We need to meet patients where they are. That's why it's so exciting that arginine supplementation could be a simple approach to counteract the negative effects of sucralose on immunotherapy.'
Next, the researchers plan to launch a clinical trial to test whether citrulline supplements, which raise arginine levels more effectively than arginine itself, can improve immunotherapy response by restoring gut balance and boosting immune function.
Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2025 AFX News
