The immune system's ability to fight diseases is dependent on the level of magnesium in the blood. T cells need a sufficient quantity of magnesium in order to operate efficiently, according to researchers from the University of Basel. Their findings could have implications for cancer patients.
Infections and cancer are caused by magnesium deficiency. Studies have shown that a low-magnesium diet causes cancer to spread faster in the bodies of mice and that their defense against flu viruses was also impaired. There is little research into how this mineral affects the immune system.
The Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge, as well as the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel, and the University Hospital Basel, have collaborated to discover that T cells can eliminate abnormal cells in a magnesium-rich environment. Magnesium is important for the function of a T cell.
The activation of T cells can be done at the docking site. "However, in the inactive state, this docking site is in a bent state and cannot efficiently bind to abnormal cells," he says. Magnesium comes into play here. If magnesium is present in sufficient quantities in the vicinity of the T cells, it will bind to LFA-1 and ensure that it remains in an active position.
There are potentially important findings for cancer patients.
Modern cancer immunotherapies may be affected by the fact that magnesium is essential for the functioning of T cells. The aim of these therapies is to mobilize the immune system to fight cancer. The immune response of T cells against cancer cells was strengthened by an increase in the local magnesium concentration in tumors.
"We're looking for ways to increase the concentration of magnesium in tumors in a targeted manner in order to verify this observation clinically." The promising nature of these strategies is demonstrated by further analyses performed by the research team. The researchers were able to show that immunotherapies were less effective in patients with insufficient levels of magnesium in their blood.
It's not possible to answer the question of whether a regular intake of magnesium impacts the risk of cancer. Prospective studies are planned to test the effect of magnesium on the immune system.
The story was told
The materials were provided by the University of Basel. Content can be edited for style and length.
Journal reference
Paolo Strati, Marco Knzli, and Philippa Lotter. CD8 T cell effector function is regulated by magnesium. Cell, 2022.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
