Many people know that fats are part of our diet and that some are healthier than others. But did you know that a common fat found in cooking oils could play a role in a dangerous type of breast cancer?
A new study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine in the U.S. has discovered how a certain kind of fat may help triple-negative breast cancer grow faster. This type of breast cancer is difficult to treat and more aggressive than other types.
The fat in question is called linoleic acid. It’s an omega-6 fatty acid, which means it’s a type of fat that our bodies need in small amounts for things like brain function and cell growth.
Linoleic acid is found in seed oils like soybean and safflower oil, and also in foods like pork and eggs. Since the 1950s, this fat has become more common in Western diets due to the rise in fried and processed foods made with seed oils.
Although omega-6 fats are essential, scientists have long wondered whether eating too much of them might be harmful. Previous studies have not been able to clearly link these fats to diseases like cancer. This new study is the first to uncover how linoleic acid may help cancer cells grow, especially in triple-negative breast cancer.
In their research, the scientists found that linoleic acid can activate a key growth pathway in cancer cells. This pathway, called mTORC1, helps cells grow and take in nutrients. But here’s the important part: linoleic acid only seems to activate this growth pathway in triple-negative breast cancer cells.
That’s because these cancer cells have a lot of a special protein called FABP5. When linoleic acid binds to FABP5, it helps turn on the mTORC1 pathway, making the cancer grow more.
To test this idea, the scientists fed mice with triple-negative breast cancer a diet high in linoleic acid. The results showed that the tumors in these mice grew faster and were more aggressive.
The researchers also looked at blood and tumor samples from real patients and found higher levels of FABP5 and linoleic acid in people newly diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer.
These findings are important for several reasons. First, they show that what we eat can affect how certain cancers grow. Second, they help explain why some cancers may respond differently to diet.
Third, the study introduces FABP5 as a possible “biomarker,” meaning doctors might one day test for this protein to give better dietary advice or even design new treatments for triple-negative breast cancer.
The scientists believe this discovery could also apply to other diseases. In the same study, they found that this fat and protein combination may help some prostate cancers grow, too. There’s even a chance that it could be linked to other conditions like obesity or diabetes.
In summary, this study shows how a common fat in our food may help a hard-to-treat cancer grow faster. It also opens the door to new ideas about how diet and disease are connected. While more research is needed, this could be a first step toward better dietary advice and new treatments for patients with triple-negative breast cancer.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about Research finds a new cause of cancer growth and findings of Scientists find the missing link between autoimmune diseases and blood cancer.
For more about cancer, please read studies about A common blood thinner can help fight cancer and findings of Heavy alcohol drinking is common in cancer patients.
The study is published in Science.
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