A nutrient found in dairy and meat products shows the potential to kill cancer cells and could boost clinical treatments for the illness, according to a recent study.
The study, published in the Nature Journal on Nov. 22, analyzed 235 bioactive molecules found in food. It looked for compounds capable of activating a group of immune cells called CD8+ T known to kill cancerous or virally infected cells. Researchers found that Trans-vaccenic acid (TVA) improved the ability of CD8+ T cells to infiltrate tumors and potentially kill cancer cells. TVA is a long-chain fatty acid found in meat and dairy products from grazing animals like cows and sheep.
