Nature: Will Cooking oil promote cancer metastasis?

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Nature: Will Cooking oil promote cancer metastasis?

Nature: Will Cooking oil promote cancer metastasis? Researchers are actively promoting clinical trials of the first innovative drug!

Introduction:

Cancer metastasis (or cancer spread) is still the main cause of death for cancer patients. The vast majority of metastatic cancer patients can only extend their lives as much as possible through treatment, but they cannot be cured.

The fatty acids contained in the food we usually eat can promote cancer metastasis, but it is still unclear how fatty acids promote cancer metastasis, and whether all fatty acids promote metastasis. Spanish researchers have discovered the key to promoting cancer metastasis in fatty acids.

Researchers from IRB Barcelona, Spain, published a research paper titled “Dietary palmitic acid promotes a prometastatic memory via Schwann cells” in the scientific journal Nature on November 10, stating that a diet rich in palm oil would promote The development of cancer, even in the early stages of cancer, when the primary tumor may not be discovered.

Researchers found that it is a fatty acid called palmitic acid commonly found in palm oil that promotes the metastasis of oral cancer and melanoma skin cancer in mice .

Other fatty acids called oleic acid and linoleic acid in foods (such as olive oil and flaxseed) do not promote cancer metastasis like palmitic acid.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04075-0

Palmitic acid, also known as palmitic acid and palmitic acid, is a saturated higher fatty acid. It is widely found in nature. Almost all oils and fats contain palmitic acid in varying amounts.

This research was partially funded by the UK charity, Worldwide Cancer Research. The study revealed how palmitic acid changes the cancer genome and promotes the spread of cancer. Researchers have begun to study therapies to block this process, and said that clinical trials may be conducted in the next few years.

After adding palmitic acid to the food of mice, the researchers found that palmitic acid not only promoted cancer metastasis, but also had a long-term effect on the genome.

The researchers added palmitic acid to the food of mice for only a short period of time. Cancer cells only had a brief “meeting” with palmitic acid. Even after palmitic acid was removed from the food, the cancer cells still maintained a high level of growth. Transfer ability.

Researchers have discovered that this “memory” is caused by epigenetic changes (changes in gene function). For cancer cells to metastasize, they must first break away from the primary tumor, enter the blood or lymphatic system, reach another organ, and survive and develop there. Epigenetic changes change the function of metastatic cancer cells.

They form a neural network around the tumor to “communicate” with cells in the surrounding environment, which makes it easier for cancer cells to metastasize (spread) .

One of the key elements in favor of the transfer of neural network formation of the so-called Schwann cells (Schwann cells, known as Schwann cells, glial cells in the peripheral nervous system, which is distributed along the projections of neurons), and around it Protect neurons.

Studies have shown that blocking Schwann cells can inhibit the development of neural networks, thereby preventing metastasis . Currently planning to advance clinical trials to prevent the metastasis of various types of cancer. “

This discovery paves the way for the research and development of therapies that specifically prevent cancer metastasis.” Dr. Gloria Pascual concluded, she is an associate researcher at the IRB Barcelona Stem Cell and Cancer Laboratory and co-authored the paper with Dr. Diana Domínguez.

Nature: Will Cooking oil promote cancer metastasis? Tumor-associated Schwann cells

The clinical trial drug under development is developed by ONA Therapeutics. The senior author of the study, Professor Salvador Aznar-Benitah, is the co-founder of the company. He is also a professor at the ICREA Institute in Spain and the head of the IRB Barcelona Stem Cell and Cancer Laboratory. .

The company recently received 30 million euros in financing from private investors for the development of the first innovative drug for the treatment of metastatic cancer . Researchers hope that clinical trials can be carried out in the next few years and will be applied to different cancers to test the efficacy.

Professor Salvador Aznar-Benitah said: “I think it’s too early to determine what metastatic cancer patients can eat to slow down cancer metastasis. In other words, based on our research results, people might think that eating palm-free Sour food may have the effect of slowing cancer metastasis, but we still need to do more to determine this.”

“Our research direction is not this, but to find new potential therapeutic targets, no matter what the patient eats, it can inhibit cancer metastasis . If we can proceed as planned, we can carry out the first phase of clinical trials within a few years. Very excited, we are investing a lot of energy to develop the best therapies, and hope that cancer patients can benefit from it in the near future.”

Dr. Helen Rippon, CEO of the Global Cancer Institute, said: “This discovery is a huge breakthrough in our understanding of the link between diet and cancer, and perhaps more importantly, how we can use this discovery to initiate new cancer treatments. Road . Discovery research like this is very exciting, because discovery marks the beginning of the research journey, and research will eventually save more lives.

We are all excitedly looking forward to the results of this clinical trial and the future of these results What impact might it have on patients with metastatic cancer.”