{
  "id": 6787174,
  "title": "New findings link obesity to loss of natural breast cancer protection",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/new-findings-link-obesity-to-loss-of-natural-breast-cancer-protection",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-11T19:00:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-link-obesity-loss-natural-breast.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scientists at Huntsman Cancer Institute have discovered that obesity may be linked to a loss of natural breast cancer protection. This protection comes from a molecule called 9S-HODE, which is more abundant in lean adipocytes (fat cells) than in obese ones. In lean adipocytes, 9S-HODE promotes a type of cell death called ferroptosis, which helps purge cancerous cells. Obese adipocytes produce less 9S-HODE, allowing cancerous cells to grow more freely. Restoring 9S-HODE levels in obese individuals could potentially help slow breast cancer growth, offering a new therapeutic approach.",
  "summary": "A research team at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) has found that obesity prevents a biological process that kills cancerous cells, revealing a possible reason obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer.",
  "key_points": [
    "Obesity linked to loss of natural breast cancer protection",
    "9S-HODE molecule more abundant in lean adipocytes",
    "Restoring 9S-HODE levels could slow breast cancer growth"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}