Some compounds in food appear to have quite a profound effect on the spread of breast cancer cells according to new research from the University Of Cambridge. Although a few institutions were involved, the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute has been actively engaged in the study. As with many cancers, when patients have a breast cancer, it’s not the initial tumour but the secondary malignant growths or metastases as they are also known which cause the biggest issues. In a metastatic cancer state, cancer cells enter the blood system, surviving and invading new sites to grow.
The one compound which is creating news is the non-essential amino acid asparagine. It is named after asparagus in which it was first discovered. It is found in relatively high quantities in this vegetable. It is commonly found in poultry, shellfish and soy foods
Asparagine has been shown in mouse studies to be an essential requirement for tumour cells to obtain their ability to roam freely throughout the body. It is more accurate though to say there was a positive correlation between the cancer cells’ ability to make asparagine and the tumours’ chance of spreading to other parts of the body.
If the biosynthesis if asparagine is halted or even limited it is not available for the synthesis of proteins which help the initial tumour cell become an active mover. Asparagine can be broken down further with the help of an enzyme L-asparaginase
As such there are no human trials yet to verify the point but the suggestions is this: remove the initial tumour, place the patient on a diet restricting asparagine or use drugs to hinder production of the amino acid. The next phase of the study will rely on recruiting healthy volunteers who agree to a low asparagine diet as part of an early-phase clinical study.
The lead author, Professor Greg Hannon as stated:-
“Our work has pinpointed one of the key mechanism that promotes the ability of breast cancer cells to spread.”
“When the availability of asparagine was reduced, we saw little impact on the primary tumour in the breast, but tumour cells had reduced capacity for metastases in other parts of the body. In the future, restricting this amino acid through a controlled diet plan or by other means could be an additional part of treatment for some patients with breast and other cancers.”
As well as breast cancer, kidney, neck and other malignant tumours could be severely restricted by imposition of such a treatment. If the early human study was successful, a clinical study with cancer patients would follow.
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