Fat is a cancer protector

The so-called "good" fatty acids are necessary for human health and are especially in demand by supporters of proper nutrition. One of the omega-3 fatty acids – docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – plays an important role in normal brain function, vision and regulation of inflammatory reactions.

In addition, DHA is associated with a decrease in the incidence of cancer. The mechanism of this dependence has been the subject of a major study by the interdisciplinary group of the University of Louvain (Université catholique de Louvain), Belgium. Researchers have studied the biochemical processes that allow DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids to slow down the growth of tumors.

In 2016, Olivier Feron's group specializing in oncology discovered that in the acidic microenvironment, some cancer cells use lipids instead of glucose as an energy source for growth and division. In 2020, Feron showed that these same cells are the most aggressive and are able to leave the primary tumor to generate metastases. This led the researchers to the idea of evaluating the behavior of cancer cells in the presence of various fatty acids.

The team determined that cancer cells react in diametrically opposite ways to the different fatty acids they absorb. The researchers found that some fatty acids stimulated tumor cells, while others, including DHA, killed them.

Deadly overload

The poison affects tumor cells through ferroptosis , a type of programmed death associated with the peroxidation of certain fatty acids. The more unsaturated fatty acids in the cell, the higher the risk of their oxidation. Normally, cells store these fatty acids in lipid vesicles, a kind of storerooms in which they are protected from oxidation. But in the presence of a large amount of DHA, the tumor cell is overloaded and does not have time to pack them, they oxidize and lead to cell death.

Using a lipid metabolism inhibitor that prevents the formation of lipid vesicles, the researchers were able to observe enhanced ferroptosis, which confirms the identified mechanism and opens up opportunities for combined cancer treatment.

For their research, the group used spheroids, a three–dimensional system for culturing tumor cells. In the presence of DHA, spheroids first grow and then burst.

The researchers also fed DHA-enriched food to mice with tumors. The result: the development of the tumor significantly slowed down compared to that of mice on a normal diet. The effect was further enhanced by the introduction of lipid metabolism inhibitors and ferroptosis inducers.

An adult is recommended to consume at least 250 mg of DHA per day. But studies show that a regular diet contains an average of 50 to 100 mg. This is well below the minimum recommended intake.

Article E.Dierge et al. Peroxidation of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the acidic tumor environment leads to ferroptosis-mediated anticancer effects is published in the journal Cell Metabolism.

Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of UCLouvain: An Omega-3 that's poison for tumours.