Trinity scientists find link between obesity and cancer

Trinity College Dublin has made a major cancer treatment breakthrough.Getty

Trinity College Dublin research has discovered that the body's immune systems control and fail in the presence of excess fat, which reduces their ability to fight cancer and disease.

Scientists, at Trinity College Dublin, have made a major discovery that shines a new, explanatory light on the link between obesity and cancer. Their research confirms the body's immune systems – led by cancer-fighting Natural Killer cells – stutter and fail in the presence of excess fat. In addition, it may be possible to find ways to "fat-clogged" Natural Killer cells molecularly re-programmed and jolted back into action.

2

Trinity College Dublin.

Over 1.9 billion adults are overweight and obese, and this places a huge health and economic burden on society. diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and a range of infections. Additionally, up to 50% of certain cancers are attributed to obesity.

Until now, however, it has been known about the impact of immune surveillance.

Read more: Irish professor provides dementia prevention tips

Trinity College Dublin, Lydia Lynch, who also conducts research at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women 's Hospital in the US. The research has just been published in international journal Nature Immunology.

Working with natural killer cells from humans, and mice as model organisms – the scientists first discovered that the molecular machinery of natural killer cells gets clogged up by excess fat in obese individuals. This clogging up does not prevent natural killer cells from recognizing tumor cells, but it does prevent them from killing them.

Further investigation then pinpointed the specific metabolic step that was stifled in the fat-clogged Natural Killer cells, and, offering promise for the further development of treatments, the scientists were able to re-program these cells and restore their cancer-fighting abilities by providing them with a metabolic jolt.

Professor Lynch said: "Increased public awareness, the prevalence of obesity and related diseases continues. Therefore, there is increased urgency to understand the pathways and causes of cancer and leads to other diseases, and to develop new strategies to prevent their progression. "

"Our results highlight immuno-metabolic pathways as a promising target for reversing immunological defects and suggesting that metabolic reprogramming of natural killer cells may kick-start their anti-cancer activity and improve outcome treatment."

Read more: Irishman given six months to live gains Harvard masters degree

Trinity College Dublin has made a major cancer treatment breakthrough.Getty