Acesulfame potassium and immune evasion in liver cancer cells
What it found
In lab tests on liver cancer cells, acesulfame potassium raised levels of a protein that helps tumours hide from the immune system.
This made it harder for immune cells to kill the cancer cells.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
More PD-L1 protein
In liver cancer cells, acesulfame potassium raised the amount of PD-L1 protein. It did this without increasing the gene instructions used to make the protein.
Blocked cell cleanup
The sweetener slowed down the normal process where cells break down old proteins. This let PD-L1 build up inside the liver cancer cells.
Signalling pathway involved
A specific chemical signalling route inside the cells was switched on by acesulfame potassium. This route caused the slowdown in protein breakdown.
Immune cells less effective
Because of the extra PD-L1, immune cells were less able to kill the liver cancer cells in these lab tests. The cancer cells became better at hiding from the immune response.
What the authors conclude
- They suggest that acesulfame potassium may help liver cancer grow by raising PD-L1 protein levels in cancer cells.
- Their findings point to the sweetener helping tumour cells escape attack by the immune system.
How it was done
Some research has linked artificial sweeteners to cancers, including liver cancer. The authors wanted to see if acesulfame potassium helps liver cancer cells dodge the immune system by raising a protein called PD-L1.
They exposed liver cancer cells in the lab to acesulfame potassium. They measured changes in a protein called PD-L1 and tested how well immune cells could kill the cancer cells afterward.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are lab tests on isolated cancer cells, so they cannot show what happens in people who eat or drink products with acesulfame potassium.
- Lab dishes do not have a full immune system, so the results might differ in a living body.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
- Authors work at
- Kyungpook National University, South Korea
The paper
- Title
- Acesulfame potassium upregulates PD-L1 in HCC cells by attenuating autophagic degradation
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Kim DH, Kwon EJ, Park KG, Jin J, Byun JK (2024). Acesulfame potassium upregulates PD-L1 in HCC cells by attenuating autophagic degradation. Biochemical and biophysical research communications. doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149921PubMed 38603831DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error