One supplement ingredient may help immune system fight cancer
A common amino acid found in protein-rich foods and over-the-counter supplements may play a far bigger role in fighting cancer and viral infections than previously understood, according to new research from Rockefeller University. The study found that low levels of arginine can prevent cells from producing a protein the immune system relies on to detect cancer and viruses, allowing threats to slip past. Sohail Tavazoie, who leads Rockefeller University’s Elizabeth and Vincent Meyer Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, told Newsweek that arginine levels are already known to be low in cancers, and that viruses reduce arginine levels in the tissues they infect. He said arginine also naturally declines in the body with age. “We have found that these reduced arginine levels reduce the ability of our cells to produce a key protein called MHC-1, which ‘presents’ abnormal proteins in our cells, such as those from viruses or mutated proteins in cancer cells, to our immune system, so they can b...
