Could regular physical activity be more than just a way to stay fit? Imagine it becoming a secret weapon in the battle against cancer. Recent discoveries reveal that exercise not only enhances physical health but also strengthens the body’s natural defenses against pancreatic cancer. This pioneering research shows that exercise activates CD8+ T cells, specialized immune cells that target and destroy tumors. These cells become more efficient at their function, improving the immune system’s overall effectiveness. Published in Cancer Cell, the findings underscore the powerful potential of lifestyle changes in the fight against disease.
Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to treat because it builds a kind of ‘invisible shield’ around itself, making it harder for the immune system cells, to fight back. This weakens the body’s defenses, letting the tumor grow without being stopped. However, exercise changes the game. It energizes special immune cells called CD8+ T cells, which act like the body’s soldiers, hunting down and destroying cancer cells. Exercise helps these cells become more effective by activating a molecule called IL-15, which acts like a fuel for their cancer-fighting abilities.
“We observed that mice on a routine showed significant reductions in tumor size, driven by enhanced CD8+ T cell activity,” Emma Kurz, one of the researchers, explained. “The same effect was seen when these cells were boosted with a drug that mimics the effects of exercise.”
Perhaps the most exciting finding is how exercise improves the effectiveness of existing cancer treatments. When combined with certain therapies that help the immune system cells better recognize cancer. This combination approach could lead to improved survival and quality of life for pancreatic cancer patients. Although the study mainly focused on mice, its findings are highly promising for humans. Early evidence indicates that pancreatic cancer patients who engaged in exercise before surgery had an increased presence of these potent CD8+ T cells within their tumors. This points to moderate exercise as a straightforward and effective strategy to enhance cancer treatment outcomes.
The study also explored the potential of medications that mimic the effects of exercise by activating the same IL-15 biological production process. These drugs showed remarkable success in reducing tumor size, suggesting that combining exercise and traditional treatments like chemotherapy could become a powerful cancer-fighting strategy.
“Exercise is more than just physical fitness; it’s a tool for reshaping how the body defends against cancer,” said the researchers. This groundbreaking research points to a future where simple lifestyle changes could work hand-in-hand with medical treatments to tackle one of the toughest cancers.
REFERENCE:
Kurz et al. (2022). Exercise-induced engagement of the IL-15/IL-15Ra axis promotes anti-tumor immunity in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Cell. DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2022.05.006.
