immunotherapy
Immunotherapy refers to strategies that harness or modulate immune system responses to prevent or combat disease. In plant science, this concept is explored in the context of plant-derived compounds and extracts that can influence immune pathways, as well as in understanding how plants themselves mount defense responses analogous to immunity. This research bridges agricultural and biomedical sciences, offering insights into natural bioactive molecules that may support therapeutic applications.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-27
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%.
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
