Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that is considered the second most common after non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This disease is sometimes preceded by a premalignant phase in which no symptoms appear and is known as monoclonal gammopathy, but around 15% of people who develop it will develop multiple myeloma and, although there are medications that prolong survival, Most of those affected die from this neoplasm.
New research from the 12 de Octubre University Hospital and the Complutense University (UCM) of Madrid suggests that a diet rich in short-chain fatty acids can improve the survival of patients with multiple myeloma and prevent the disease in premalignant stages. Its authors have discovered that certain microorganisms produced by these acids in the colon during digestion are associated with a better response to treatment in patients with multiple myeloma, which also means that their detection in feces and blood can predict the response. to therapy.
A diet that improves the treatment of multiple myeloma
The researchers analyzed whether the intestinal microbiota (a set of microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa… found in the intestine) and the substances or metabolites it produces are altered in monoclonal gammopathies and what their potential role is in multiple myeloma. , as well as in its response to treatment.
To do this, they analyzed serum and fecal samples from 46 individuals and compared them with those from another group of 62 patients with multiple myeloma. They found alterations in patients with active disease, and in those with a poor prognosis after treatment it was found that there had been a decrease in short-chain fatty acid producers. On the other hand, bacteria involved in the production of short-chain fatty acids were more represented in patients in a premalignant stage or in complete remission of the disease, showing better overall survival.
“A balanced diet rich in fiber will favor the growth of bacteria that produce short chain fatty acids”
According to Dr. María Linares, from the i+12 Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre and the UCM, the work demonstrates that short-chain fatty acids and the intestinal microbiota associated with their production “could have beneficial effects on the evolution of the disease and the response to treatment, which underlines its therapeutic potential and its value as a predictor.” The results have been published in Clinical Cancer Research.
Dr. Linares explains that her goal is to work, above all, on prevention: “We want to use these microbial metabolites as new therapeutic agents, or even through a diet that favors their production. A balanced diet rich in fiber will promote the growth of bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids. In addition, there are foods rich in this type of metabolites, including some dairy products such as Parmesan cheese.”
Some of the multiple myeloma treatments available today are complex and have side effects. Marrow transplant is another therapeutic option that some patients can access. The new research aims to offer alternatives with low toxicity to avoid these effects, in combination with current therapies in myeloma, or that could be administered to patients with gammopathies who currently do not receive any treatment. This is the first study that characterizes the microbiota and the production of microbial metabolites in different stages of the disease, including the response to treatment, which gives it great value.
Sources: Hospital 12 de Octubre and Complutense University of Madrid
