RESUMO
A role for vitamin D in immune modulation and in cancer has been suggested. In this work, we report that mice with increased availability of vitamin D display greater immune-dependent resistance to transplantable cancers and augmented responses to checkpoint blockade immunotherapies. Similarly, in humans, vitamin D-induced genes correlate with improved responses to immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment as well as with immunity to cancer and increased overall survival. In mice, resistance is attributable to the activity of vitamin D on intestinal epithelial cells, which alters microbiome composition in favor of Bacteroides fragilis, which positively regulates cancer immunity. Our findings indicate a previously unappreciated connection between vitamin D, microbial commensal communities, and immune responses to cancer. Collectively, they highlight vitamin D levels as a potential determinant of cancer immunity and immunotherapy success.
Assuntos
Bacteroides fragilis , Microbioma Gastrointestinal , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico , Neoplasias , Vitamina D , Animais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Bacteroides fragilis/metabolismo , Microbioma Gastrointestinal/efeitos dos fármacos , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico/uso terapêutico , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico/farmacologia , Imunoterapia , Mucosa Intestinal/imunologia , Mucosa Intestinal/microbiologia , Mucosa Intestinal/metabolismo , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Neoplasias/imunologia , Neoplasias/microbiologia , Neoplasias/terapia , Vitamina D/administração & dosagem , Vitamina D/metabolismo , Dieta , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Calcifediol/administração & dosagem , Calcifediol/metabolismo , Proteína de Ligação a Vitamina D/genética , Proteína de Ligação a Vitamina D/metabolismoRESUMO
Bidirectional interactions between the immune system and the gut microbiota are key contributors to various physiological functions. Immune-associated diseases such as cancer and autoimmunity, and efficacy of immunomodulatory therapies, have been linked to microbiome variation. Although COVID-19 infection has been shown to cause microbial dysbiosis, it remains understudied whether the inflammatory response associated with vaccination also impacts the microbiota. Here, we investigate the temporal impact of COVID-19 vaccination on the gut microbiome in healthy and immuno-compromised individuals; the latter included patients with primary immunodeficiency and cancer patients on immunomodulating therapies. We find that the gut microbiome remained remarkably stable post-vaccination irrespective of diverse immune status, vaccine response, and microbial composition spanned by the cohort. The stability is evident at all evaluated levels including diversity, phylum, species, and functional capacity. Our results indicate the resilience of the gut microbiome to host immune changes triggered by COVID-19 vaccination and suggest minimal, if any, impact on microbiome-mediated processes. These findings encourage vaccine acceptance, particularly when contrasted with the significant microbiome shifts observed during COVID-19 infection.