We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Prolonged Fasting Promotes Immune System Regeneration

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 17 Jun 2014
Print article
Image: Schematic flow chart of the effects of prolonged fasting on the immune system (Photo courtesy of USC).
Image: Schematic flow chart of the effects of prolonged fasting on the immune system (Photo courtesy of USC).
A new study suggest that prolonged cycles of fasting trigger stem-cell based regeneration of immune cells and the clearing out of old, damaged cells.

Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC; Los Angeles, USA), the University of Palermo (Italy), and other institutions have succeeded in demonstrating in a mouse model that fasting for 2–4 days at a time reduces circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and protein kinase A (PKA) activity in various cell populations, leading to signal transduction changes in long-term hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) and niche cells that promote stress resistance, self-renewal, and lineage-balanced regeneration.

The researchers also found that multiple cycles of fasting abated the immunosuppression and mortality caused by chemotherapy and reversed age-dependent myeloid-bias, supporting previous data on the protection of lymphocytes from chemotoxicity in fasting. The pro-regenerative effects of fasting on stem cells were reinforced by deficiency in either IGF-1 or PKA, and blunted by exogenous IGF-1. Prolonged fasting also protected against toxicity in a pilot clinical trial in which a small group of human patients fasted for a 72-hour period prior to chemotherapy. The study was published on June 5, 2014, in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

“Switching off the gene for PKA is the key step that triggers the stem cells to shift to regeneration; it gives the OK for stem cells to go ahead and begin proliferating and rebuild the entire system,” said corresponding author Prof. Valter Longo, PhD, director of the USC Longevity Institute. “The good news is that the body also rids itself of the parts of the system that might be damaged or old, the inefficient parts, during the fasting. If you start with a system heavily damaged by chemotherapy or aging, fasting cycles can generate, literally, a new immune system.”

According to the authors, the study has major implications for healthier aging, in which immune system decline contributes to increased susceptibility to disease as we age. By outlining how prolonged fasting cycles kill older and damaged immune cells and generate new ones, the research also has implications for chemotherapy tolerance and for those with a wide range of immune system deficiencies, including autoimmunity disorders.

Related Links:

University of Southern California
University of Palermo


Gold Member
Blood Gas Analyzer
GEM Premier 7000 with iQM3
Automated Blood Typing System
IH-500 NEXT
New
Automatic Biochemistry Analyzer
Audmax 180 Evolution
New
Rocking Shaker
HumaRock

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The new saliva-based test for heart failure measures two biomarkers in about 15 minutes (Photo courtesy of Trey Pittman)

POC Saliva Testing Device Predicts Heart Failure in 15 Minutes

Heart failure is a serious condition where the heart muscle is unable to pump sufficient oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. It ranks as a major cause of death globally and is particularly fatal for... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The smartphone technology measures blood hemoglobin levels from a digital photo of the inner eyelid (Photo courtesy of Purdue University)

First-Of-Its-Kind Smartphone Technology Noninvasively Measures Blood Hemoglobin Levels at POC

Blood hemoglobin tests are among the most frequently conducted blood tests, as hemoglobin levels can provide vital insights into various health conditions. However, traditional tests are often underutilized... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: Under a microscope, DNA repair is visible as bright green spots (“foci”) in the blue-stained cell DNA. Orange highlights actively growing cancer cells (Photo courtesy of WEHI)

Simple Blood Test Could Detect Drug Resistance in Ovarian Cancer Patients

Every year, hundreds of thousands of women across the world are diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer. PARP inhibitors (PARPi) therapy has been a major advancement in treating these cancers, particularly... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: HNL Dimer can be a novel and potentially useful clinical tool in antibiotic stewardship in sepsis (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Unique Blood Biomarker Shown to Effectively Monitor Sepsis Treatment

Sepsis remains a growing problem across the world, linked to high rates of mortality and morbidity. Timely and accurate diagnosis, along with effective supportive therapy, is essential in reducing sepsis-related... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.