Researchers at IRB Barcelona have made a significant discovery regarding the role of a fatty acid found in palm oil, named palmitic acid, in promoting the spread of oral cancer and melanoma, a type of skin cancer.
This study provides critical insights into how diet can influence cancer progression, particularly metastasis.
The Dangers of Palmitic Acid
Unlike other fatty acids like oleic acid and linoleic acid, found in olive oil and flaxseeds, palmitic acid has been identified as a key player in promoting cancer metastasis.
Metastasis, the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another, is the leading cause of death in cancer patients. Despite treatments available, metastatic cancer is often incurable.
Fatty Acids and Cancer Spread
Fatty acids, the building blocks of fats in our bodies and diets, play a role in fueling metastasis. The study showed that supplementing mice diets with palmitic acid not only contributed to metastasis but also left a lasting impact on the cancer genome.
Even after removing palmitic acid from the diet, cancer cells that had been exposed to it for a short time continued to be highly metastatic.
This suggests a “memory” effect caused by epigenetic changes—modifications that alter gene function without changing the DNA sequence.
Epigenetic Changes and Metastasis
The researchers found that these epigenetic changes enable metastatic cancer cells to form a neural network around tumors. This network facilitates communication with nearby cells, making it easier for cancer to spread.
Potential Therapies and Diet Considerations
Excitingly, the team is developing therapies to interrupt this process and planning clinical trials to stop metastasis in various cancer types.
While it’s still early to determine a specific diet for patients with metastatic cancer, the study hints that a diet low in palmitic acid might slow down the metastatic process. However, more research is needed to confirm this.
Conclusion
This groundbreaking study, published in Nature by Professor Salvador Aznar-Benitah and colleagues, underscores the impact of dietary components like palmitic acid on cancer metastasis.
It opens new avenues for therapeutic interventions and dietary recommendations to potentially slow down or prevent the spread of cancer.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about a new method to treat cancer effectively, and this low-dose, four-drug combo may block cancer spread.
For more information about cancer prevention, please see recent studies about nutrient in fish that can be a poison for cancer, and results showing this daily vitamin is critical to cancer prevention.
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