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A natural substance from pomegranates can reverse aspects of immune aging. Scientists at the Georg-Speyer-Haus and the University Hospital Frankfurt have successfully demonstrated this. In a phase I study published in "Nature Aging," the team led by Prof. Florian Greten, spokesperson for the LOEWE Center Frankfurt Cancer Institute, and Dr. Dominic Denk shows that Urolithin A rejuvenates the immune system of middle-aged adults and paves the way for new applications in infection, aging, and cancer therapy.

Over the course of a lifetime, the immune system weakens, making people more susceptible to infections, less receptive to vaccines, and increasing the risk of cancer, among other things. A key factor is here the loss of "naive" T cells, which can fight off new threats.

In the study, 50 healthy adults received every day for four weeks either Urolithin A or a placebo. Urolithin A triggers mitophagy, a process that recycles and renews mitochondria – the powerhouses of cells. Participants receiving Urolithin A showed a significant increase in naïve T cells, replenishing their pool of "young" immune cells. The treatment also strengthened other immune populations, improved bacterial defense, and prepared them for new challenges.

"This successful clinical implementation is clear evidence of the Frankfurt Cancer Institute’s strategy to combine our research findings with clinical expertise to advance the development of new therapies that can truly make a difference," says Prof. Dr. Florian Greten.

The researchers used previous work, which showed that urolithin A reprograms T cells and improves the immune response against colon cancer, as a foundation for the new study.

Further information can be found at: https://aktuelles.uni-frankfurt.de/english/new-study-shows-pomegranate-derived-compound-strengthens-immune-defense/