A team of Chinese researchers in the field of oncology discovered a mechanism by which some microorganisms in the intestinal flora, associated with obesity, can favor the development of cancer, reports Xinhua on Tuesday.
The mechanism involves the release of specific chemical substances, which can have a significant impact on the development and spread of cancer cells.
A high-fat diet is widely considered a significant risk factor for the malignant evolution of various types of cancer, largely due to its disruptive effects on the intestinal microflora.
However, the precise role of high-fat diet in the development of cancer has not been well understood until now.
Researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in China studied mouse models of cancer and found that fat-fed microflora led to an abundance of leucine, an amino acid found in many proteins.
A high level of leucine in the peripheral blood was found to be associated with poor clinical outcomes in female patients diagnosed with breast cancer, according to a study published Monday in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States.
In addition, abnormal gut microflora is implicated in the development of resistance to chemotherapy and some immunotherapies for breast, lung and melanoma cancer.
The findings of this study open the way to therapeutic strategies against cancer, targeting the aberrant metabolism of the intestinal microflora, said the researchers involved in this study.
Tags: Study development cancer favored microorganisms intestinal microflora presence diet rich fats
