Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have found that vitamin E can enhance immunotherapy responses by stimulating the activity of dendritic cells in the tumor, according to findings published in Cancer Discovery.
The researchers found that vitamin E directly binds and blocks the activity of the SHP1 checkpoint protein in dendritic cells, which increases antigen presentation and primes T cells for an anti-tumor immune response. Further, the results lead to a possible new therapeutic approach to improve immunotherapy outcomes, including combinations with vitamin E, as well as directly targeting SHP1 in dendritic cells.