LPS and Health Maintenance

(12) Cancer and LPS

LPS has been shown to reduce the adverse reactions of chemotherapeutic drugs for cancer and enhance the effectiveness of cancer therapy.

It is estimated that about 5,000 abnormal cells that may become cancer are produced per day. However, such abnormal cells are monitored and eliminated by immune cells in most cases. Increase in the onset of cancer with the person’s age and stress level, is considered to be associated with a decline in the immune function. Chemotherapeutic cancer drugs cause damage not only to cancer cells but also to normal cells, including immune cells. In treatments using chemotherapeutic drugs, it is important to avoid affecting the immune system in particular. Cancer-transplanted model mice have shown that life-prolonging effects are higher in those given LPS with chemotherapeutic drugs than those given chemotherapeutic drugs alone (*1).

(*1) Oral administration of immunopotentiator from Pantoea agglomerans (IP-PA1) improves the survival of B16 melanoma-inoculated model mice, Experimental Animal 60 (2): 101-109 (2011)