Study: Pomegranate can help fight colorectal cancer

Fighting cancer would be much easier if one's immune system helped. However, cancer cells can suppress the vigilance of the immune system. Therefore, scientists are looking into the possibility of stimulating the immune system to fight tumors.

For example, researchers from the Goethe University Frankfurt in Germany determined that the anti-cancer properties of the immune system could be activated by the substance urolitin A. The work was published in the journal Immunity.

Urolitin A is formed from ellagitannins, a special class of plant polyphenols; intestinal bacteria process these polyphenols to produce urolitin A. As for ellagitannins themselves, pomegranate contains the most of them.

After treatment with urolitin A, immune cells called T cells become powerful immune stem cells, which, because of their ability to divide, continually supply the immune system with rejuvenated, non-depleted T cells.

"Our results are particularly interesting because the focus is not on the tumor cell but on the immune system, the natural defense against cancer. Reliable therapeutic approaches to enhance the immune response are still lacking. Perhaps by improving combination therapies with existing immunotherapies, the study opens up meaningful possibilities for further applications in the clinic," the scientists said.

The scientists said their study will help improve therapy for colorectal cancer as well as other types of cancer.

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