(Dreamstime)
Scientists at Rockefeller University found that low levels of arginine may help cancer cells and viruses evade immune detection by reducing production of MHC-I, a crucial cellular “warning system” that alerts the immune system to abnormal or infected cells.
According to ScienceDaily, arginine is an amino acid that supports many essential functions in the body. It helps cells build proteins, improves blood flow, and helps the kidneys remove waste products. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it also boosts immune cell activity and helps release growth hormone and insulin.
Our bodies produce arginine naturally, and it is found in protein-rich foods such as fish, meat, poultry, and plant-based sources such as nuts and seeds. The new study found that low levels of arginine may weaken the immune system and reduce production of MHC-I, a protein complex that alerts the immune system to viruses and mutated cells.
The researchers found that even a moderate amount of added arginine, the equivalent of a couple of over-the-counter tablets, restored MHC-I production and helped ward off disease. Their findings were published in the journal Cell.
“Our work reveals how a lack of arginine interferes with the immune system, and suggests that upping arginine intake could prove beneficial,” says first author Qiushuang Wu, a postdoctoral associate at Rockefeller. “Perhaps that means it could be used in combination with other therapies to treat both cancer and viral infections.”
Wu and her colleagues examined how low arginine levels caused by poor diet or disease altered gene expression in conditions including colon cancer, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2 infection. They found that arginine levels were “dramatically” lower in all of those conditions.
When the scientists fed mice an arginine-rich diet, they had milder symptoms and better outcomes.
“Not only did mice with an arginine-rich diet have milder symptoms from viral infections, giving the mice arginine after influenza infection improved their outcomes too,” Wu notes. “That was very surprising. From our genetic models, we knew manipulating arginine levels had a strong effect on gene expression, but we didn’t expect dietary manipulation to be equally impactful.”
The research may help explain why aging and declining arginine levels are associated with greater susceptibility to certain cancers and viral infections. According to ScienceDaily, arginine levels decrease with age, which can potentially weaken the immune system’s ability to detect and eliminate abnormal or infected cells. The team plans to investigate whether increasing dietary amino acids can improve health by boosting arginine levels and helping ward off age-related diseases.
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