Scientists at Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin have uncovered a groundbreaking dietary approach to enhance the immune system’s ability to fight cancer. Their experimental study in obese mice demonstrates that a food supplement derived from yeast, specifically yeast beta-glucan, reprograms bone marrow stem cells to produce more robust, long-lasting anti-tumour immune cells. This discovery opens new avenues for natural immunotherapy strategies that are both accessible and safe.
Obesity is known to impair immune function, reducing the body’s capacity to mount effective responses against tumours. Traditional interventions have struggled to overcome these immune deficits, which often persist even after weight loss. The researchers focused on yeast beta-glucan—a compound already widely used as a food supplement with an established safety profile—to test whether dietary delivery could restore immune competence in this context, a method previously unexplored compared to injectable forms used in past studies.
Mice fed a high-fat diet supplemented with yeast beta-glucan for periods ranging from four to twelve weeks were subsequently challenged with various cancer cell types, including colorectal, skin, and breast cancer models. The treated mice exhibited a marked improvement in innate immune responses, characterized by enhanced function of myeloid cells that play a critical role in early tumour defense. Importantly, the beneficial effects were also observed in reversing immune dysfunction associated with obesity and sustained even after the animals lost weight.
At the cellular level, the study revealed that dietary yeast beta-glucan induces “trained immunity” by epigenetically reprogramming hematopoietic stem cells within the bone marrow. This trained state equips the immune system to respond more vigorously to cancerous threats. This is the first demonstration that oral supplementation alone can initiate such profound immune training, bypassing the need for invasive injections.
The implications for human health are significant: with obesity affecting millions worldwide and contributing to heightened cancer risk, an easy-to-administer, food-grade supplement could complement existing cancer therapies like chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Moreover, it has potential to enhance vaccine efficacy and improve resistance to infections by rehabilitating impaired immune networks.
Professor Helen Roche of UCD emphasized the clinical relevance of these findings, noting that yeast beta-glucan supplementation targets a major unmet need—the long-term immune memory defects that remain after obesity remission. Meanwhile, Associate Professor Frederick Sheedy of Trinity College highlighted the readiness of the yeast-based supplement, Wellmune™ by Kerry Group, for rapid translation into clinical trials, given its existing commercial availability and safety profile.
This pioneering work, published in Cell Reports, propels the concept of functional food interventions to the forefront of immuno-oncology research. It suggests a future where a simple dietary addition can empower the immune system, offering patients a novel, non-invasive weapon in the fight against cancer.
Subject of Research: Immunology, cancer immunotherapy, obesity-related immune dysfunction
Article Title: Dietary Yeast Beta-Glucan Reprograms Bone Marrow Stem Cells to Boost Anti-Tumour Immunity in Obesity
News Publication Date: Not specified
Web References: DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117648
References: Published in Cell Reports
Keywords: yeast beta-glucan, trained immunity, obesity, cancer, immune reprogramming, bone marrow stem cells, dietary supplement
