Research: The risk factor for colorectal cancer decrypted

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Tissue Stress and Reprogramming of Immune Defense Cells: Researchers in Cologne

COLOGNE. Obese people are known to be at higher risk for colorectal cancer than people of normal weight. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne have now deciphered the correlations of this phenomenon (Nature Communications 2018, April 25) and thus provide the basis for new therapeutic approaches, as reported in the report. Institute of Cologne

. Excess fat has to accumulate, a stress reaction develops in the adipose tissue, "Privatdozent research group leader Dr. Thomas Wunderlich cites.The stress response alerts the body's immune system, which triggers its turn inflammation in adipose tissue.

Persistent obesity subjects the body to constant stress, inflammation spreads throughout the body

Long-term stress programs cells around

This eventually leads to reprogramming of immune cells that can no longer fight cancer cells but promote their survival and thus support tumor growth, reports the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research. However, Claudia Wunderlich points out: "The fact that you are fat does not make you sick of cancer, but if degenerated cells are present in the body, the obesity favorite tumor growth. "

The study does not only reveal related to colon cancer. "Using mouse models, we have been able to identify specific targets for possible therapeutic approaches in humans," Dr. Claudia Wunderlich

In obese mice, researchers have already been able to reduce the risk of illness, according to the release. On the one hand, they eliminated the special immune cell populations, on the other hand they altered the genetics of the animals so that some immune cells could not be reprogrammed despite a high fat diet

In both cases, the inflammation was weakened. reduced. (eb)

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