Mediterranean Diet and Response to Checkpoint Inhibitors
In a multicenter study (in the UK and the Netherlands) conducted to assess the association between immune checkpoint blockade and diet, 91 people with advanced melanoma completed an FFQ before initiating treatment.
A positive association between a Mediterranean diet (high in whole grains, fish, nuts, fruit, and vegetables) and treatment response was observed. Both overall response rate (ORR) and progression free survival (PFS) were positively associated with Mediterranean diet score. A max Mediterranean diet score of 5 was associated with the highest probability of tx response, 0.74 for PFS (p =0.01) and 0.77 for ORR (p= 0.02).
The importance of the gut microbiome in checkpoint blockade treatment response has been previously demonstrated, and the Mediterranean diet is rich in foods known to influence the gut microbiome, including fiber (which would support beneficial SCFA production, high levels of which are also associated with response to immunotherapy), polyphenols, and antioxidants. These interesting findings add to the body of research indicating dietary/gut factors influence immunotherapy treatment outcomes.
Citation:
Bolte LA, Lee KA, Björk JR, Leeming ER, Campmans-Kuijpers MJE, de Haan JJ, Vila AV, Maltez-Thomas A, Segata N, Board R, Harries M, Lorigan P, de Vries EGE, Nathan P, Fehrmann R, Bataille V, Spector TD, Hospers GAP, Weersma RK. Association of a Mediterranean Diet With Outcomes for Patients Treated With Immune Checkpoint Blockade for Advanced Melanoma. JAMA Oncol. 2023 Feb 16:e227753. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.7753.
Link:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2801594