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Month: March 2025

Low-carb diets may increase colorectal cancer risk

Low-carb diets may increase colorectal cancer risk

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In recent years, the number of children, teens, and young adults with colorectal cancer has increased. To determine whether the gut microbiota and diet have an effect on the development of colorectal cancer, researchers recently investigated various diets and bacteria. To determine whether there were any effects on the gut, the researchers paired three distinct bacterial strains with three different diets. They discovered that a certain strain of Escherichia coli in conjunction with a low-carb, low-fiber diet can cause an increase in colon polyps, which can result in the development of colorectal cancer.

Although low-carb diets, like the ketogenic diet, have become more popular recently, many experts question whether a more restrictive diet could have detrimental effects on one’s health. In a recent study, researchers from the University of Toronto in Canada investigated the potential effects of low-carb diets on bacteria associated with colorectal cancer. In their study, the researchers employed mice and examined various bacterial strains as well as low-carb, typical, and Westernized diets.

They concentrated on whether these diets have an effect on specific bacteria and how that could lead to the development of colorectal cancer. The findings of their study demonstrated that low-carb diets have a detrimental effect on a particular strain of Escherichia coli. The researchers discovered that it accelerated the growth of polyps. Certain polyps can progress to colorectal cancer.

How might certain bacteria lead to cancer?
One of the most common types of cancer diagnosed in the US is colorectal cancer, which affects the colon and rectum. One out of every 26 women and one out of every 24 men will develop this cancer. According to recent data, the number of colorectal cancer cases among adults aged 30 to 34 increased by 71% between 1999 and 2020, while the number among adults aged 35 to 39 increased by 58% during the same period. The 5-year survival rate for colorectal cancer is 64.4%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source.

Although prevention of colorectal cancer cannot be guaranteed, there are steps people can take to reduce their risk (Trusted Source). Among these are quitting smoking, consuming less alcohol, eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and avoiding processed foods and red meat.

The new study sought to ascertain whether there was a relationship between particular diet types and particular types of bacteria, as researchers suspect that dietary choices may be linked to the development of colorectal cancer. Three bacteria were the focus of their investigation: Helicobacter hepaticus, E. coli, and Bacteroides fragilis.

They colonized the mice using E. Coli. According to the study’s authors, these microbes either directly damage intestinal epithelial cells’ DNA by producing genotoxins or indirectly by inducing inflammatory mediators that damage DNA. The mice used in the study were fed Western-style diets, which were heavy in fat and sugar, regular chow diets, and diets low in carbs and fiber.

E. coli and low-carb diets increase cancer risk
Following nine weeks of feeding the mice their particular diets, the researchers monitored the mice for the development of polyps and remeasured them at sixteen weeks. Only the combination of the low-carb diet and E was tested among the bacteria and diets. Coli may raise the risk of colorectal cancer, according to research. This is noteworthy because, as stated by the authors of the study, E. Coli is found in 60% of cases of colorectal cancer.

This combination increased the number of tumors and polyps in the mice, which can raise the risk of colorectal cancer. These mice also displayed other indicators that increase the risk of colorectal cancer, including DNA damage. The colon’s protective mucous layer against bacteria was weakened by the low-carb diet. In mice that have E. Colibactin was able to reach colon cells because of this. One genotix that harms DNA is colibactin, according to a reliable source.

Additionally, these mice had cell senescence, which can lead to the development of cancer. The mice on low-carb, low-fiber diets with E had reduced levels of gut health regulation, the researchers discovered. coli, which fuels inflammation. In general, mice fed a low-carb diet paired with E. Coli’s gut microbiome was so disturbed and damaged that scientists discovered it to be a setting that encourages colorectal cancer.

Despite these alarming findings, the researchers discovered that feeding these mice fiber decreased the development of tumors and assisted in regulating inflammation. By figuring out whether particular fiber types are more protective and researching their effects on people, the researchers hope to carry on this line of inquiry.

What dietary changes may help lower cancer risk?
According to the article’s highlighted mouse study, there may be a substantial connection between low-carb diets and colibactin-producing E. She informed us about colorectal cancer and E. Coli. A low-carb diet combined with an E. strain was found to be beneficial by the researchers. Mice with colibactin-producing E. Coli developed colorectal cancer. Cusick described how the low-carb, low-fiber diet and E. coli create an environment in the gut. Coli resulted in a thinner mucous barrier, more polyps, which are cancer precursors, and increased gut inflammation.

Although she described the results as fascinating and captivating, she pointed out that more study is required before they can be used on people. Cusick listed a few forms of fiber that might support the colon’s mucus barrier because the study emphasized how important it is.

According to the article’s highlighted mouse study, there may be a substantial connection between low-carb diets and colibactin-producing E. She informed us about colorectal cancer and E. Coli. A low-carb diet combined with an E. strain was found to be beneficial by the researchers. Mice with colibactin-producing E. Coli developed colorectal cancer.

Cusick described how the low-carb, low-fiber diet and E. coli create an environment in the gut. Coli resulted in a thinner mucous barrier, more polyps, which are cancer precursors, and increased gut inflammation. Although she described the results as fascinating and captivating, she pointed out that more study is required before they can be used on people. Cusick listed a few forms of fiber that might support the colon’s mucus barrier because the study emphasized how important it is.

Vora was also not involved in the study. “I believe this can be considered hypothesis-generating,” Vora said of the research. The incidence of colorectal cancer may be explained by a real connection. Although Vora agreed that more research is needed on this subject, he also noted that the gut biome is a popular area of study due to its connection to colon cancer and that many new research topics will emerge in this area.

Aspirin may prevent cancer metastasis by boosting the immune response

Aspirin may prevent cancer metastasis by boosting the immune response

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Approximately 50% of individuals will receive a cancer diagnosis at some point in their lives, usually in their later years. Although cancer cells can separate and spread to other parts of the body, it is easiest to treat cancer that is contained in its original location. By strengthening the body’s immune response, aspirin may help prevent metastases, or secondary tumors, according to researchers looking into how cancer spreads. Aspirin assisted immune cells in eliminating cancer cells that were spreading in their mouse study. People are being studied to see if aspirin or medications that target the same pathway can help prevent or postpone the recurrence of cancers.

Based on data from 2010-2011, Cancer Research UK reports that half of all people in Wales and England who receive a cancer diagnosis will live for at least ten years following their diagnosis. For some of the more common cancers, the percentage is significantly higher. According to data from 2013 to 2017, over 75% of people in England who have been diagnosed with either prostate or breast cancer will still be alive ten years later. Early detection, before the cancer has a chance to spread from its original site, is essential to a successful outcome. Over 90% of cancer-related deaths occur after the disease has spread to another area of the body.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom have now found that aspirin, a widely accessible and inexpensive pain reliever, may be able to stop the spread of some cancers. Aspirin affected platelets, which are tiny cells that cause blood to clot, in mice by reducing their production of thromboxane A2 (TXA2), a clotting factor that inhibits immune T cells, according to a study published in Nature. These T cells can then eliminate any cancer cells that are spreading because TXA2 isn’t suppressing them as much.

The study generates a valid hypothesis on how to prevent cancer recurrence and spread using a very simple intervention for patients, according to Nilesh Vora, MD, a board-certified hematologist and medical oncologist who serves as the medical director of the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA. This article’s main point is that aspirin stops cancers from spreading by lowering TXA2 and releasing suppressed T cells. Although treatment for early-stage cancers has advanced significantly, if cancer cells have spread from the original tumor site, there is still a chance that the cancer will recur elsewhere in the body.

The immune system is weakened inside the original tumor’s microenvironment, making it less effective at eliminating cancer cells. However, the immune system may target these lone cancer cells once they migrate. There is a special window of opportunity for treatment when cancer first spreads because cancer cells are more susceptible to immune attack. Patients with early cancer who are at risk of recurrence should benefit greatly from therapies that target this window of vulnerability.

Surprising new use for old drug
In mice, the researchers had previously discovered 15 genes that affected the spread of cancer. They discovered that some primary cancers in the liver and lungs metastasized less frequently in mice deficient in a gene that produces the protein ARHGEF1. They deduced from this that ARHGEF1 inhibits T cells that eliminate metastatic cells. They then found that when cells are exposed to the clotting factor TXA2, this gene is activated. Although recent evidence now contradicts the data on heart attack and stroke prevention, aspirin is sometimes taken at low doses to lower the risk of blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes because it inhibits platelets’ production of TXA2.

Aspirin-treated mice experienced fewer metastases than control mice in the current study, which examined the mouse model of melanoma, an aggressive type of skin cancer. The aspirin allowed their T cells to kill cancer cells by releasing them from TXA2-induced suppression. According to a press release from Jie Yang, PhD, one of the study co-authors based at the University of Cambridge, It was a eureka moment when we found TXA2 was the molecular signal that activates this suppressive effect on T cells. Yang stated that before this, we were unaware of the significance of our findings in comprehending aspirin’s anti-metastatic action. It was a shocking discovery that led us in a completely different direction than we had originally intended.

Do the findings on aspirin and cancer also apply to people?
Yang emphasized the promise of the research team’s findings, pointing out that aspirin or other medications that might target this pathway might be more affordable than antibody-based treatments and, as a result, more widely available. However, the researchers caution that aspirin can have side effects and may not be suitable for everyone. Aspirin frequently causes indigestion, nausea, and irritation of the stomach or gut. Less frequent adverse effects include bruising, vomiting, stomach bleeding or inflammation, and worsening asthma symptoms. Rarely, it can result in hemorrhagic stroke, kidney failure, or brain bleeding, especially in people who take a daily dose.

The results were welcomed by Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD, a surgical oncologist who was not involved in this study. He is the Chief of Medicine and Director of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Program at Providence Saint John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, CA. However, he informed MNT that these findings must first be confirmed in clinical trials involving human subjects. It is necessary to assess aspirin as an adjuvant to immunotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with more advanced cancers as well as aspirin alone in patients with earlier cancers who are not candidates for these treatments.

The good news is that human clinical trials have begun. To determine whether aspirin can prevent or postpone the recurrence of early-stage cancers, the researchers will work with Ruth Langley, MD, professor of oncology and clinical trials in the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at University College London, who is in charge of the Add-Aspirin clinical trial. According to Langley, who was not involved in the current study, people should only begin taking aspirin on a doctor’s recommendation. A small percentage of people may experience severe side effects from aspirin, such as stomach ulcers or bleeding. She underlined that it is crucial to know which cancer patients are most likely to benefit and to always consult your doctor before beginning aspirin.