Intestinal microbiota and cancer immunotherapy

In a mouse model of colitis, researchers report that administration of a common probiotic, Bifidobacterium, mitigates immunopathology related to blocking the CTLA-4 immune inhibitory pathway, a cancer immunotherapy that carries the risk of autoimmunity; administration of the probiotic was tied to colon structure restoration, reduced weight loss, and decreased serum levels of inflammatory cytokines, without affecting antitumor immunity, in the mice, suggesting a potential role for intestinal microbiota in cancer immunotherapy, according to the authors.

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Article #17-12901: "Bifidobacterium can mitigate intestinal immunopathology in the context of CTLA-4 blockade," by Feng Wang et al.

MEDIA CONTACT: Feng Wang, Stanford University, CA; tel: 650-681-7272; email: <fengwang@stanford.edu>