DISCLAIMER: if you are actively receiving immunotherapy or other cancer treatments, please speak with your oncology team before making any changes to your treatment plan.
Cancer is a complex disease driven by a combination of genetics, environment, lifestyle, and modifiable epigenetics. A prime feature of cancer is a prolonged inflammatory response that eventually causes changes in surrounding tissue. Histamine plays an important role in the body’s inflammatory response, but how histamine relates to cancer is an important topic in oncological research.
Histamine is a neurotransmitter released by mast cells and basophils in the human body in response to inflammation. This important biological molecule mediates various cellular responses via its four receptor sites, which can become altered due to certain diseases. The H1 receptor site is popularly known for triggering allergy symptoms in the body, such as nasal congestion, difficulty breathing, and itchy skin. The H4 receptor site continues to be extensively researched, but studies are showing this histamine receptor site might play a role in the development and inhibition of cancer.
The role of histamine in the proliferation or inhibition of cancer is highly tumor-dependent. When histamine is released by mast cells, there is the possibility of tumor growth and immunosuppression mediated by the expression of histamine receptors. However, histamine has also shown the opposite effects by inhibiting tumor growth, stimulating the immune response, and decreasing cancer cell mobility. It is speculated that these pro-cancer or anti-cancer effects are dependent on concentration, location of histamine secretion, and other cofactors.
One study found that cancer patients who took an antihistamine medication during immunotherapy had a significantly improved survival rate. For these patients, the antihistamine was shown to improve response to cancer treatment. Therefore, it is possible that having a pre-existing allergy or a high histamine burden can potentially affect a patient’s response to immunotherapy treatment.
The future of cancer therapies is a promising research field that will most likely include ways to regulate histamine receptors to inhibit tumor growth. The H4 receptor seems to play the most noticeable role in cancer development and progression compared to other histamine receptors and will most likely be the therapeutic target for oncological treatments in the future.
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Author: Dr. Kellyann Tomko, ND
References
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Li H, Xiao Y, Li Q, Yao J, Yuan X, Zhang Y, Yin X, Saito Y, Fan H, Li P, Kuo WL, Halpin A, Gibbons DL, Yagita H, Zhao Z, Pang D, Ren G, Yee C, Lee JJ, Yu D. The allergy mediator histamine confers resistance to immunotherapy in cancer patients via activation of the macrophage histamine receptor H1. Cancer Cell. 2022 Jan 10;40(1):36-52.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2021.11.002. Epub 2021 Nov 24. PMID: 34822775; PMCID: PMC8779329.
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Disclaimer:
This information is generalized and intended for educational purposes only. Due to potential individual contraindications, please see your primary care provider before implementing any strategies in these posts.
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