The regulating properties of Sanqi that enhances PD-1 inhibitors effects in lung cancer revealed by metabolomic and microbiome analyses

Abstract

Sanqi (SQ), as a health food, is clinically used as an effective complementary therapy for treating multiple cancers with the advantages of immunomodulatory potential. Nevertheless, the efficacy and the underlying mechanism of combining SQ and PD-1 inhibitors remain inconclusive. In this study, we examined the anti-lung cancer effects of SQ in combination with PD-1 inhibitors in tumor-bearing mice. We found that PD-1 inhibitors and SQ combined treatment significantly inhibited tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice. Following the administration of SQ combined with PD-1 inhibitors, there was an increase in the levels of Glycolaldehyde and N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine in the plasma of mice, while the levels of 1,4-Dihydro-1-methyl-4-oxo-3-pyridinecarboxamide decreased. Specifically, SQ supplementation increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Aerococcus, while reducing the levels of pathogenic bacteria, including norank_f_norank_o_Clostridia_UCG-014, Candidatus_Saccharimonas, and Bilophila. Our data suggested that a combination of PD-1 inhibitors and SQ treatment may be a novel therapeutic strategy for lung cancer patients.

Keywords

• Lung cancer
• Sanqi
• PD-1 inhibitors
• Gut microbiota
• Metabolomics