C15:0, an Emerging Essential Nutrient, Demonstrates Anti-Depression, Antimicrobial, and Anti-Cancer Properties
A U.S. Navy funded study from Seraphina Therapeutics shows cell-based properties of a healthy saturated fatty acid mimicking that of leading therapeutics for depression and cancer.
SAN DIEGO, July 20, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- For over 40 years, nutritional recommendations have emphasized the importance of decreasing all saturated fats in our diets. A new study, however, found that a healthy saturated fat has unique benefits that may be relevant to stemming a diverse set of health conditions.
C15:0, also called pentadecanoic acid, is an odd-chain saturated fatty acid primarily present in trace levels in whole fat dairy products. In a peer-reviewed study recently published in PLOS ONE, 12 human cell systems mimicking various disease states were treated with four increasing concentrations of C15:0. These cell systems included 148 biomarkers relevant to a broad array of conditions, resulting in a C15:0 profile that was then compared to other profiles from over 4,500 different compounds, including therapeutics.
In this study, C15:0 mimicked various therapeutics based on concentration. At the lowest concentrations, the cell-based benefits of C15:0 mimicked that of bupropion (or WellbutrinⓇ), a commonly used antidepressant. At moderate concentrations, C15:0's benefits paralleled that of climbazole and clarithromycin, which are antifungal and antibacterial compounds. At the highest concentration, C15:0 matched most closely with two anti-cancer therapeutics, gemcitabine and paclitaxel.
"While our study further supported previously published anti-cancer and antimicrobial properties of C15:0," said Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson, the study's lead author and CEO and co-founder of Seraphina Therapeutics, "the discovered cell-based antidepressant properties of C15:0 are entirely new."
Venn-Watson's team had previously discovered C15:0 as the first essential fatty acid to be found in 90 years, which was published during May 2020 in Nature's Scientific Reports. Since then, over two dozen peer-reviewed studies have been published from prestigious institutions around the world linking C15:0 to lower risks of multiple chronic conditions, including reduced proliferation of breast cancer cells and the ability to stop growth of fungi and bacteria. In addition, two studies have associated higher C15:0 to longer lifespan, and a second team corroborated odd-chain saturated fatty acids, including C15:0, as essential fatty acids.
"Generations since the 1970s are increasingly avoiding whole fat dairy products, which are our primary source of dietary C15:0," shared Dr. Venn-Watson. "Given the growing support of C15:0 as an essential nutrient required to support our long-term health, there is an urgent need to understand if population-wide C15:0 nutritional deficiencies are driving the increasing incidence in mood disorders and metabolism-associated cancers."
A double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial with C15:0 is underway at Rady Children's Hospital to test for changes in physiological measurements relevant to promoting heart, liver, metabolic and immune health. While the current study predicts antidepressant, antimicrobial and anti-cancer properties of C15:0, further clinical trials are needed to further test this hypothesis.
About: Seraphina Therapeutics, Inc. is a health and wellness company dedicated to advancing global health through the discovery of essential fatty acids and micronutrient therapeutics. Through rigorous breakthrough science, the company develops fatty acid supplements, food fortifiers, and nutritional interventions to strengthen cells, keep mitochondria working and advance cellular homeostasis to counter age-related breakdown. With its team of industry-leading scientists, Seraphina Therapeutics challenges long-held approaches to nutrition, enabling the creation of novel health products designed to support quality of life. The company is a spinout of Epitracker, Inc., headquartered in San Diego. For more information, please visit http://www.seraphinatherapeutics.com and http://www.fatty15.com.
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SOURCE Seraphina Therapeutics, Inc.
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