Study Links Protein ATF6, Gut Microbiome to Cancer Development
An international research team has discovered a link between chronic activation of a protein called ATF6 and cancer development, with the gut microbiome playing a crucial role. The study, led by researchers at Technical University of Munich (TUM), shows that blocking lipid metabolism with drugs in mice can prevent cancer by altering the gut microbiome.
The mechanism involves ATF6, a protein that, when chronically activated, changes lipid metabolism in intestinal cells. This leads to an increase in long-chain fatty acids, which serve as food for certain bacteria like Desulfovibrio fairfieldensis. These bacteria multiply and displace other microbes, altering the microbiome composition and promoting cancer.
The study analysed data from over 1,000 cancer patients, revealing that up to 38 percent of patients over the age of 50 had chronic ATF6 activation. Notably, numerous long-chain fatty acids overlapped between ATF6-activated mice and human cancer tissue. The research suggests that diet and other factors may influence these processes, and further investigation is needed to develop effective therapies.
The study demonstrates that the gut microbiome is a key player in cancer development, with chronic ATF6 activation driving the process. Mice without a microbiome did not develop cancer even with permanent ATF6 activation, highlighting the importance of the microbiome in cancer development. Further research is needed to understand the influence of diet and other factors on these processes and to develop targeted therapies.
Read also:
- Inadequate supply of accessible housing overlooks London's disabled community
- Strange discovery in EU: Rabbits found with unusual appendages resembling tentacles on their heads
- Duration of a Travelling Blood Clot: Time Scale Explained
- Fainting versus Seizures: Overlaps, Distinctions, and Proper Responses
