A new study by scientists at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and researchers from around the world has uncovered an unexpected link between gut health and blood cancer. This discovery could change how we understand aging, inflammation, and the early development of leukemia.
As people age—or if their gut health is weakened by illness—the barrier that normally keeps bacteria inside the intestines becomes less effective. This allows certain harmful substances made by gut bacteria to leak into the bloodstream.
One of these substances, a sugar-like molecule called ADP-heptose, seems to play a powerful role in pushing pre-cancerous blood cells to grow more quickly, which can lead to leukemia.
This research, published in the journal Nature, is the first to clearly explain how this process happens. It also suggests that this same pathway might be involved in other age-related diseases, especially for older people who have a little-known condition called CHIP, or clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential.
CHIP is a condition in which blood cells slowly develop genetic changes that don’t cause symptoms at first. These changes can lead to serious diseases like blood cancer, heart problems, or inflammatory disorders. It’s estimated that 10–20% of people over the age of 70 have CHIP, but most don’t know it because there are no outward signs or regular tests to detect it.
Dr. Daniel Starczynowski, the lead researcher, says this study could be a major step toward early prevention. “We might be able to step in before pre-leukemic cells become dangerous,” he said. “This is especially important for older adults.”
So how does this all work?
As people age, their gut lining becomes more “leaky,” meaning it’s easier for bacteria or their byproducts to enter the bloodstream. In older adults, certain bacteria that produce ADP-heptose become more common.
This molecule was found in the blood of older people and in younger people with gut problems. Once in the bloodstream, ADP-heptose can act like fuel for pre-leukemic cells, helping them grow.
The researchers found that this sugar activates tiny structures in blood cells called TIFAsomes. These TIFAsomes act like messengers that tell pre-leukemic cells to multiply. To detect this process, the team even created a new blood test, called the TIFAsome Assay, which can measure ADP-heptose activity in the body.
To better understand the impact, scientists ran experiments on mice with CHIP-like conditions. When these mice were exposed to ADP-heptose, their pre-leukemic cells grew rapidly, confirming that this bacterial byproduct can worsen blood cancer risk.
But there may be a way to stop it. The harmful effects of ADP-heptose seem to depend on a receptor in the blood cells called ALPK1. If this receptor could be blocked, it might prevent the disease from progressing.
Right now, no medication exists that targets ALPK1, but the team found a possible lead. They tested an enzyme-blocking compound that reduced the growth of pre-leukemic cells, even when ADP-heptose was present.
These are early findings, and more research is needed before any new treatment can be developed for people. However, the study has raised an important question: can improving gut health protect us from leukemia and other diseases as we age?
Many scientists already believe that the gut plays a central role in overall health. The mix of bacteria in the intestines—known as the gut microbiota—can be influenced by diet, probiotics, and lifestyle. While there’s no proven way to stop CHIP through diet or supplements yet, this study shows that keeping the gut healthy might be more important than ever.
The research team hopes to develop a drug that blocks ALPK1, and they also want to explore how gut bacteria might influence other conditions like heart disease, arthritis, and osteoporosis.
In short, this study suggests that what happens in your gut doesn’t stay there. Bacterial changes in the intestines can directly affect the blood and may raise the risk of cancer and other diseases as we age. While we wait for new treatments to be developed, this discovery is a reminder that taking care of your gut could be a powerful way to support long-term health.
If you care about gut health, please read studies about how probiotics can protect gut health, and Mycoprotein in diet may reduce risk of bowel cancer and improve gut health.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how food additives could affect gut health, and the best foods for gut health.
The research findings can be found in Nature.
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