Experiments conducted by researchers led by the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) in Japan revealed how these proteins activate the intestinal immune system, allowing it to effectively stop the birth of new tumors.
“Tumors of the small intestine are much rarer than those of the colon, but the risk is higher in cases of familial adenomatous polyposis and, therefore, the clinical use of elemental diets to treat inflammatory bowel disease or other gastrointestinal conditions in These patients should be considered very carefully. ”said Hiroshi Ohno of RIKEN IMS. Familial adenomatous polyposis is a hereditary syndrome that predisposes one to developing colon cancer.
Food antigens, according to the team.
They previously reported that dietary antigens activate immune cells in the small intestine, and when activated by gut bacteria, these cells are known to suppress tumors in the intestine.
In the new study, published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Immunology, researchers explored in mouse studies whether dietary antigens suppress tumors in the small intestine.
In the first experiment, mice fed normal food or no antigen showed that normal food caused fewer tumors in the small intestine, but the same amount in the large intestine.
In the next, the team added a common representative antigen called albumin-free diet. This was done to ensure that the total amount of protein was equal to the amount of protein in the normal diet.
When the mice were given this diet, tumors in the small intestine were suppressed just as they had been with normal food. This showed that tumor suppression was directly related not to the nutritional value of the food, the researchers said.
The diets also reduced T cells in mice on a simple antigen-free diet than those given normal chow or antigen-free chow with milk protein.
However, researchers warned that this could be risky and emphasized the need to follow these types of diets only with a doctor's recommendation.
“Tumors of the small intestine are much rarer than those of the colon, but the risk is higher in cases of familial adenomatous polyposis and, therefore, the clinical use of elemental diets to treat inflammatory bowel disease or other gastrointestinal conditions in These patients should be considered very carefully. ”said Hiroshi Ohno of RIKEN IMS. Familial adenomatous polyposis is a hereditary syndrome that predisposes one to developing colon cancer.
Food antigens, according to the team.
They previously reported that dietary antigens activate immune cells in the small intestine, and when activated by gut bacteria, these cells are known to suppress tumors in the intestine.
In the new study, published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Immunology, researchers explored in mouse studies whether dietary antigens suppress tumors in the small intestine.
In the first experiment, mice fed normal food or no antigen showed that normal food caused fewer tumors in the small intestine, but the same amount in the large intestine.
In the next, the team added a common representative antigen called albumin-free diet. This was done to ensure that the total amount of protein was equal to the amount of protein in the normal diet.
When the mice were given this diet, tumors in the small intestine were suppressed just as they had been with normal food. This showed that tumor suppression was directly related not to the nutritional value of the food, the researchers said.
The diets also reduced T cells in mice on a simple antigen-free diet than those given normal chow or antigen-free chow with milk protein.
However, researchers warned that this could be risky and emphasized the need to follow these types of diets only with a doctor's recommendation.
