Taiwan's Latest Research Reveals: Natural Fucoidan Improves Tumor Microenvironment
Helping Cancer Patients Enhance Chemotherapy Efficacy
The natural polysaccharide from the ocean can improve the tumor microenvironment, enhance immune responses, and boost chemotherapy effects, bringing new hope to cancer adjuvant therapies.
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Cancer has long ranked first among Taiwan’s top ten causes of death. According to statistics from the Health Promotion Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, cancer claimed more than 50,000 lives in 2020, accounting for nearly 30% of all deaths nationwide. These numbers represent not only a medical challenge but also the struggles and hopes of countless patients and their families.
Modern medicine no longer relies solely on single-treatment approaches. In addition to chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, the medical community is increasingly focusing on how natural adjuvant substances can help reduce side effects, enhance treatment efficacy, and improve quality of life. Recently, a breakthrough led by a Taiwanese research team has attracted international attention: the marine-derived natural compound “fucoidan” has been proven to improve the tumor microenvironment, boost immune cell activity, and thereby increase the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic drugs. (Hsu et al., 2020)
New Directions in Cancer Treatment: The Rise of Adjuvant Therapies
Key Discovery from Taiwan’s National Health Research Institutes Team
This study was led by Dr. Hsin-Ling Hsu, Associate Investigator at the Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes. The findings were published in the international journal Cancers (2020) under the title “Oligo-Fucoidan Prevents M2 Macrophage Differentiation and HCT116 Tumor Progression.”
Using human cancer cells and mouse tumor models, the team discovered that small-molecule fucoidan (Oligo-Fucoidan) extracted from Taiwan’s brown seaweed Sargassum hemiphyllum effectively suppresses the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and MCP-1/CCL2. This suppression reduces the number of tumor-promoting M2-type macrophages and shifts the immune system toward an anti-cancer M1-type response. The results show that small-molecule fucoidan not only improves the tumor microenvironment but also enhances anti-cancer immunity and the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. (Chen et al., 2020)
Tumor development is not only related to the cancer cells themselves but is also heavily influenced by the surrounding microenvironment. The so-called “tumor microenvironment” is a complex ecosystem composed of cancer cells, immune cells, blood vessels, and inflammatory molecules. When the environment is dominated by high levels of pro-inflammatory factors or oxidative stress (ROS), tumors are more likely to spread and metastasize.
The study found that small-molecule fucoidan, as a natural antioxidant, can significantly reduce ROS levels in both immune cells and cancer cells, thereby improving the overall environment and preventing the immune system from being “suppressed” by the tumor. Furthermore, it blocks cancer cells from inducing immune cells to transform into tumor-aiding M2 macrophages and redirects them toward the tumor-attacking M1 phenotype.
This shift is of great significance to patients—it is equivalent to making the body’s defense system “stand on its own side again.” (Chen et al., 2020)
Improving the Tumor Microenvironment: From “Fueling Cancer Cells” to “Suppressing Tumors”
Assisting Chemotherapy: Enhancing Efficacy and Reducing Side Effects
Chemotherapeutic drugs such as cisplatin kill cancer cells but can also trigger oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, worsening the tumor microenvironment and even leading to drug resistance.
The study found that when fucoidan is used in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs, it significantly suppresses the ROS proliferation and inflammatory reactions induced by chemotherapy while preventing an increase in M2-type macrophages. This means patients not only achieve better chemotherapy responses but also maintain a healthier immune environment in the body.
In mouse experiments, the combined use of fucoidan and cisplatin markedly reduced tumor volume, inhibited angiogenesis, and lowered the risk of metastasis. These findings offer a new approach to cancer treatment—through the combination of “marine-derived natural compounds + conventional drugs,” there is potential to enhance therapeutic efficacy while reducing side effects. (Chen et al., 2020)
Implications and Practical Significance for Patients
Implications and Practical Significance for Patients
For cancer patients, long-term treatment often brings enormous physical and mental stress. If there is a safe, natural adjuvant substance that can be used alongside standard therapies to make treatment smoother and more effective, it would be a great source of hope.
Although research on small-molecule fucoidan is still primarily based on animal and cell experiments, its excellent safety profile, natural origin, and oral bioavailability demonstrate considerable potential for clinical application. From the patient’s perspective, it may not be a “miracle drug,” but it can serve as a supportive aid to stabilize overall physical condition and enhance treatment effectiveness.
Clinicians have also noted that if such natural extracts can pass further human trials, they are expected in the future to become “adjuvant therapies for chemotherapy or immunotherapy,” helping patients reduce side effects, slow disease progression, and even improve quality of life. (Hsu et al., 2020)
Future Outlook: A New Chapter in Marine Medicine Starting from Taiwan
Surrounded by the sea on all sides, Taiwan possesses abundant algal resources. This study confirms that small-molecule polysaccharides from local brown algae have anti-tumor potential, opening a new direction for “marine biotechnology medicine.” If further human clinical trials can verify its safety and efficacy in the future, fucoidan is expected to become an innovative adjuvant strategy in cancer treatment.
For patients, this represents more than just another treatment option—it is a ray of hope personally created by Taiwanese scientists, allowing the power of the ocean to become a natural ally in the fight against cancer. (Chen et al., 2020)
Conclusion
When facing cancer, the question patients and their families care about most is: “What more can I do to make treatment more effective?” Taiwan’s latest research tells us that natural ingredients may play a key role in the treatment journey. Fucoidan, a polysaccharide from the ocean, has been proven to improve the tumor microenvironment, enhance immune responses, and increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
Although more human clinical trials are still needed at this stage, its safety and potential offer a glimpse of a future where cancer treatment becomes more diverse, personalized, and gentler.
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References
- Chen, L.-M., Tseng, H.-Y., Chen, Y.-A., Al Haq, A. T., Hwang, P.-A., & Hsu, H.-L. (2020). Oligo-Fucoidan prevents M2 macrophage differentiation and HCT116 tumor progression. Cancers, 12(2), 421. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12020421
- National Health Research Institutes (NHRI). (2020). Taiwan research report: Oligo-fucoidan enhances chemotherapy efficacy by modulating tumor microenvironment. Zhunan, Taiwan: Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine.
- Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan. (2021). Cancer statistics 2020. Taipei: Health Promotion Administration.