High-fat diet activates cellular repair pathway that helps colon cancer spread
Most colon cancer deaths are caused by the spread of tumor cells beyond the colon, usually to the liver. In a new study, MIT biologists identified a cellular pathway necessary for colorectal cancer metastasis.
Colon cancer metastasis is often responsible for the majority of deaths caused by the disease. A recent study has identified a cellular pathway controlled by the YAP1 protein that plays a crucial role in this process. When activated, YAP1 promotes cell proliferation and migration, enabling cancer cells to spread beyond the colon and into the liver.
Researchers have discovered that a high-fat diet can trigger the activation of this pathway through the production of ceramides, which then interfere with the normal functioning of YAP1. This finding suggests that blocking ceramide production could potentially prevent metastasis in colon cancer patients by inhibiting the YAP1 program.
The study, led by MIT biologists and published in Science, offers new hope for developing targeted therapies to combat this deadly aspect of colon cancer.
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