Dietary Fat Fuels More Aggressive Tumors
- Researchers at Princeton University have identified new links between high-fat diets and the progression of aggressive breast cancer, specifically demonstrating how certain fats can make tumors more invasive.
- The study, published March 3 in APL Bioengineering, focuses on triple-negative breast cancer.
- To understand how different nutrients affect cancer growth, the research team grew 3D model tumors.
Researchers at Princeton University have identified new links between high-fat diets and the progression of aggressive breast cancer, specifically demonstrating how certain fats can make tumors more invasive.
The study, published March 3 in APL Bioengineering, focuses on triple-negative breast cancer. This specific type of cancer is characterized by its aggressive nature and its tendency to not respond to most conventional therapies.
Mechanisms of Tumor Invasion
To understand how different nutrients affect cancer growth, the research team grew 3D model tumors. They simulated various nutrient conditions in the body by trickling human-like plasma through these tumors.
The team tested several dietary conditions, including those high in sugar, insulin, glycerol, and ketones. In these instances, the tumors remained relatively compact and showed little difference from the baseline growth.
However, tumors fed with cholesterol and fatty acids exhibited a significant structural change. While these high-fat tumors grew at roughly the same rate as the others, they developed small, hollow appendages that reached outward into the surrounding environment.
These tendrils are a hallmark of aggressive cancers. According to the study, cells migrate away from the core of the tumor toward the edges, creating leading edges that can invade normal tissues.
Celeste Nelson, the study’s principal investigator and the Wilke Family Professor in Bioengineering
Aggressive cancers have these tendrils, and it’s the leading edges that end up invading into our normal tissues and making it into either a lymphatic or a blood vessel and escaping, and metastasizing.
Impact on Patient Outcomes
The findings provide a partial explanation for a growing body of evidence suggesting that high-fat diets lead to worse outcomes for cancer patients. The research indicates that the primary danger of these fats may not be the speed of tumor growth, but rather the change in the tumor’s structure that facilitates metastasis.
By creating these invasive cavities, the cancer is better able to escape the primary site and enter the blood vessels or lymphatic system, which allows it to spread to other parts of the body.
Research Collaboration and Methodology
The study was a collaborative effort involving several experts. Celeste Nelson served as the principal investigator, working alongside Joshua Rabinowitz, a professor of chemistry and director of the Princeton Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research.
The team spent several years growing hundreds of tumors to ensure the consistency of their observations. Their use of 3D models and human-like plasma allowed them to observe the physical process of invasion over several days via fluorescence imaging.
Clinical Implications
This research may influence future dietary recommendations for those battling aggressive forms of breast cancer. The ability to understand the step-by-step process of how common dietary fats fuel growth could lead to more targeted intervention strategies.
Current discussions in health and immunity are already highlighting the importance of a balanced intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which may play a role in promoting healthy immunity alongside these findings.