(+)-Matairesinol, Derived From Olive Oil, Enhanced T-Cell Anti-Tumor Immune via JAK3-STAT1 Signal and Synergized With Anti-PD-1 Efficacy.
Dai Z, Wang XH, Xia M, Liu FR, Yang MJ
Dietary Cancer Prevention
The olive trees you might grow or the bottle of extra virgin olive oil in your kitchen contain a lignan compound that scientists just showed can supercharge immune cells to fight cancer — giving the Mediterranean diet's cancer-protection reputation its first detailed molecular explanation.
Olive oil contains natural plant compounds called lignans, and researchers found that one of them — matairesinol — wakes up the body's immune cells and helps them hunt down cancer cells more aggressively. When they gave this compound to mice with a hard-to-treat form of breast cancer, the cancer spread to the lungs far less often and the mice lived longer. Even better, when combined with a modern cancer drug that 'unlocks' immune cells, the olive oil compound made the drug work more than half again as well.
Key Findings
Olive oil lignans reduced lung metastasis by approximately 59% in a triple-negative breast cancer mouse model
(+)-Matairesinol improved overall survival by 38% and synergized with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy to boost its efficacy by 53%
The compound works by activating the JAK3-STAT1 signaling pathway, which ramps up production of cancer-killing proteins granzyme B and interferon-gamma in T-cells
chevron_right Technical Summary
A natural compound called (+)-matairesinol, found in extra virgin olive oil, helps the immune system fight breast cancer by activating cancer-killing T-cells. In mouse studies, olive oil treatment cut cancer spread to the lungs by 59%, improved survival by 38%, and boosted the effectiveness of a leading immunotherapy drug by 53%.
Abstract Preview
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is one of the signature foods for cooking and dressing in the Mediterranean diet, and clinical evidence revealed its remarkably lower risk of breast cancer. However, t...
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The olive is a species of subtropical evergreen tree in the family Oleaceae. Originating in Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean Basin, with wild subspecies in Africa and western Asia; modern cultivars are traced primarily to the Near East, Aegean Sea, and Strait of Gibraltar. ...