Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment but remains less effective against liver cancer, whose incidence has nearly tripled in recent years.
Scientists discovered that certain bile acids produced by the liver can suppress cancer-fighting T cells. Harmful bile acids such as LCA and TCDCA cause stress and oxidative damage to T cells, weakening their ability to attack tumors. When researchers removed the BAAT protein responsible for producing these bile acids, tumor growth in mice dropped sharply.
Conversely, one bile acid—ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)—was found to boost T cell function and attract more immune cells to the liver. Supplementing mice with UDCA, already approved for other liver diseases, significantly reduced liver tumor size, suggesting it could enhance immunotherapy response in patients.
The study underscores how the liver’s bile acid environment shapes immune activity and points to new therapeutic strategies, including dietary or microbiome-based approaches, to improve liver cancer treatment.