Intelligent Sugars in Action: Galactose’s Role in Enhancing Anti-Tumour T Cell Responses

by | Aug 19, 2025 | News

In a groundbreaking Nature Cell Biology study published on 8 August 2025, researchers uncovered a striking new role for diet-derived galactose: it can reprogram liver metabolism, boosting antitumour immune responses by preventing CD8⁺ T cell exhaustion.

The study demonstrated that galactose intake induces hepatocyte production of IGFBP-1, which interferes with IGF-1 signalling and helps sustain T cell activity. This effect is mediated through inhibition of mTORC1 in liver cells, resulting in a metabolic shift that strengthens antitumour immunity. Higher plasma levels of IGFBP-1 in cancer patients were also associated with improved CD8⁺ T cell functionality within tumours.

These findings strongly align with The Dr. Coy Principle, which identifies galactose as a functional sugar that provides energy without spiking blood glucose. Unlike conventional sugars, galactose avoids fuelling the TKTL1 pathway, thereby preventing cancer cells from creating or repairing new tissue through fermentation metabolism.

Dr. Coy has long emphasised that galactose shifts metabolism away from fermentation and towards combustion, reducing lactic acid build-up that supports tumour growth. At the same time, it offers benefits for cognitive function and metabolic stability.

The recent Nature study strengthens this profile by showing that galactose can influence liver–immune signalling and enhance T cell resilience. This elevates galactose beyond its role as a low-glycaemic sugar, positioning it as a nutrient capable of modulating systemic processes relevant to disease prevention and management—precisely the targeted, health-oriented functionality that defines the Intelligent Sugar approach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References
1. Ge, X. et al. Dietary galactose reprograms liver metabolism to enhance anti-tumour CD8⁺ T cell responses. Nature Cell Biology (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-025-01716-8

2. Intelligent Sugar – The Dr. Coy Principle https://intelligentsugar.info/sugars/cancer-nutrition-with-the-dr-coy-principle/