Immunotherapies would work less well on people who produce more lactic acid. Explanations.
- Lactic acid is produced naturally by the body during physical exertion and disappears one hour later.
- It is also found in dairy products, wine, fruits and vegetables.
It has long been known that lactic acid is produced in large quantities by cancer cells and that it disrupts our defense against tumors. But until now, no one understood exactly how it happened.
macrophages
It is now done, thanks in particular to Professor Jo Van Ginderachter, PhD student Xenia Geeraerts, Professor Sarah-Maria Fendt and Professor Jan Van den Bossche. Their findings were published in the journal Cell Reports.
“We demonstrated that macrophages, a specific type of immune cell, use lactic acid as an energy source,” explains immunologist Van Ginderachter. “Boosted by this liquid, they paralyze the immune cells capable of recognizing and destroying cancerous elements”, he continues.
Prevent production
The strong emission of lactic acid and the macrophages thus contribute, in the long term, to the failure of immunotherapy in certain patients. “In this treatment, the natural production of immune cells in our body is increased to optimally attack cancerous elements”, recalls Van Ginderachter. To maximize the success of these therapies, scientists’ next objective is to prevent the appearance of lactic acid in tumours.
.
