NEW study from the RIKEN Centre for Integrative Medical Sciences in Japan has revealed that proteins found in foods such as meat and milk can help to suppress the growth of tumours in the small intestines. The study aimed to investigate how these food antigens, often associated with allergic reactions, actually play a key role in triggering the intestinal immune system to prevent tumour formation.
The study focused on how food antigens, particularly proteins like albumin found in meat, can activate immune cells in the small intestines, thereby reducing the risk of new tumour growth. The researchers conducted experiments using mice with a mutation that predisposed them to developing intestinal tumours, similar to people with familial adenomatous polyposis, which is a condition that increases cancer risk in the intestines.
The experiments showed that mice fed a normal diet had fewer small intestinal tumours compared to those on an antigen-free diet. When a common protein (albumin) was added to the antigen-free diet, tumour suppression occurred, indicating that the presence of antigens, rather than the food’s nutritional value, was responsible for inhibiting tumour growth.
The findings have significant clinical implications, particularly for patients on elemental diets, used to treat conditions like Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome, that lack whole proteins. The study’s lead investigator warns that while such diets can be beneficial for severe gastrointestinal conditions, they may increase the risk of tumours in patients predisposed to small intestinal cancers, such as those with adenomatous polyposis.
The findings emphasise the importance of balancing dietary choices and shows that elemental diets should not be adopted without medical supervision, particularly for people at higher risk for gastrointestinal cancers.
Aleksandra Zurowska, EMJ
Reference
Sasaki et al. Food antigens suppress small intestinal tumorigenesis. Front Immunol. 2024;DOI:10.3389/fimmu.2024.1373766.
