洛克菲勒大学的研究发现，精氨酸缺乏会削弱免疫系统识别癌细胞和病毒感染的能力[1]。这一过程与MHC-1蛋白的产生密切相关，该蛋白可警告免疫系统面临变异细胞和病毒入侵的威胁[1]。研究人员在精氨酸缺乏的条件下发现了414种蛋白质含量异常低[1]。
动物实验证实了精氨酸的重要作用[1]。精氨酸缺乏的小鼠开发出更多结肠癌肿瘤，而获得充足精氨酸的小鼠肿瘤数量明显减少[1]。在流感感染后给予小鼠精氨酸也改善了其预后结果[1]。研究表明，摄入适量精氨酸（相当于几片非处方药片的含量）可能恢复与MHC-1产生相关基因的表达[1]。
这项发表在《细胞》杂志上的研究[1]引发了临床应用的期待。洛克菲勒大学系统癌症生物学研究室负责人Sohail Tavazoie表示："精氨酸补充可以在接受免疫疗法的患者或暴露于病毒病原体的高风险人群中进行测试"[1]。
Researchers at Rockefeller University have discovered that arginine deficiency impairs the immune system's ability to identify cancer cells and viral infections by reducing the production of MHC-1 proteins, which alert immune cells to the presence of mutated cells and virus invasion [1]. Laboratory studies revealed that 414 proteins were abnormally depleted when arginine was insufficient [1]. The findings suggest that supplementing with modest amounts of arginine—equivalent to a few over-the-counter tablets—could restore the expression of genes involved in MHC-1 production [1].
In mouse experiments, animals lacking adequate arginine developed significantly more colon tumors, while those with sufficient arginine showed reduced tumor development [1]. When mice infected with influenza were given arginine supplementation, their clinical outcomes improved [1]. According to Sohail Tavazoie, a lead researcher on the study, "arginine supplementation could be tested in patients receiving immunotherapy or in high-risk populations exposed to viral pathogens" [1]. The research was published in Cell in July 2026 [1].