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Can pomegranate juice improve cancer immunotherapy? Following in the footsteps of Paul Ehrlich, a study by LOEWE-FCI investigates this question – Hessenschau reports
At the end of March, the hr (Hessischer Rundfunk – Hessian Broadcasting) visited the Georg Speyer House in Frankfurt, where Paul Ehrlich laid the foundation for today's cancer research at the beginning of the 20th century.
What began in Frankfurt over 100 years ago could now experience a new breakthrough: Paul Ehrlich laid the foundation for modern cancer research with his findings in immunology – and today, researchers from LOEWE-FCI are building on this foundation in the same laboratories at the Georg Speyer House with a new approach: The active ingredient urolithin A – which is produced during the metabolism of pomegranate juice but can also be synthetically produced and taken as a dietary supplement – could improve the effectiveness of immunotherapies. Initial laboratory results show that urolithin A makes tumor cells more visible to the immune system and strengthens immune cells, enabling them to fight tumors more effectively.
In the next phase, the active ingredient will now be tested directly on cancer patients for the first time at the Frankfurt University Hospital by Professor Bastian Schilling and his team. The hope is that a relatively simple measure in the form of dietary supplements will improve a therapy that has not yet proven effective for all patients.
To mark the 80th anniversary of the state of Hesse this year, the hr is presenting various programs on "Hesse today, yesterday, and tomorrow." This series focuses on inventions "Made in Hesse".