CDCA Shows Anticancer Effects by Activating Immune Cells, Pointing to a New Use for a Gallstone Drug as Immunotherapy

A new anticancer mechanism has been identified in which chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) activates conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1) to inhibit tumor growth. The CDCA metabolite TCDCA binds to the TGR5 receptor, enhancing cDC1’s antigen-presenting function and thereby increasing the tumor-killing ability of CD8+ T cells. The drug, whose safety has already been established, showed a synergistic effect when combined with an anti-PD-1 antibody, raising expectations for rapid clinical application as a “booster” that could improve response rates to existing immunotherapies.