Studies show that high fat diets may be linked to higher chances of prostate cancer metastasis

An article done by the New York Times explains how a diet of high fatty substances may increase not just the growth of prostate cancer, but also speed up the metastasis process. This has to do with the loss of a particular gene. In a test done with lab mice, when this gene is stripped from the cancer, the prostate develops fat cells and releases them throughout the body, causing harmful effects. This does not, however, indicate that prostate cancers that have NOT lost this gene do not metastasize. If a readily source of fat is present in the body from certain diets, the cancer can also spread. Cory Abate-Shen, the interim director at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Colombia University analyzes the results of the experiment that “high-fat diets promote a more aggressive prostate cancer”. This study comes as a shock to geneticists, who understood that this type of cancer usually starts when PTEN (phosphate and tensin homolog), a protective gene, either fails/shuts down. This however rarely promotes spreading of the cancer cells, and remains mostly affecting the prostate. Another gene, PML (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy) however, causes the cancer cells to spread and more than likely being lethal. These cells in a new study have seem to produce fat, which in return helps the cancer spread quicker. The correlation between a fatty diet and the loss of PML gene was found again in lab mice, with the mice that had lacked the PML gene and were fed a high fatty diet had a much higher metastasis rate than those that were fed a low-fat vegetarian diet. This raises questions such as if high sugar diets (which also cause obesity), correlate to higher risk of prostate cancer metastasis. Prostate cancer is the second highest diagnosed cancer in men with 165,000 American’s being diagnosed each year, with 29,500 fatalities per year. In order to combat and lower one’s risk of prostate cancer, diet and exercise must be maintained. Pharmacologic medications (such as anti-obesity medications) also may be of assistance, for example Metformin (Glucophage), Bupropion/naltrexone (Contrave), and Phentermine/topiramate (Qsymia & Mysimba).

I found this article to be very informative and interesting. For someone that has prostate cancer in their family history, the article can be very helpful in justifying on what types of diets you should be avoiding and what types of diets you should be ingesting. These studies however, leave a lot of question unanswered as explained in the article summary. More tests on certain types of diets need to be performed in order to see if high fat or obesity truly does cause a higher risk in prostate cancer metastasis.

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Clam Cancer Outbreak, Spread by One Set of Cells

       
          There are currently three known cancers in nature. It is shocking that the third cancer known in nature occurred in clams. For the last 40 years, there have been leukemia-like disease outbreaks that have been depleting soft-shell clam populations along the United State's East cost. These outbreaks cause a significantly lowered harvest populations and job loss. The disease's cause and how it spread were unknown. It was speculated that the cause was from environmental factors, and it was spread by a virus. Researchers analyzed the cancer cell sequences and discovered that the cancer cells from different locations were the same. In one clam, they found that original cancer cell left its host and spread to another clam population. Cancers occur in an animal due to metastasis. Normally cancer cells have the same genes as the animal or person suffering from cancer, but it was found that none of the cancer cells had DNA matching the clams they were in. Instead, the cancer cells were the same as one another with the same DNA. It can be concluded that they all came from one original case of cancer in one clam. The cancer cells were being transmitted, not the virus. In water, the cancer cells can only live a few hours; however, this is more than enough time to infect other clams. Cancers normally do not spread in the same way as the clam since the cancer cell must leave the host, live long enough to enter another, and then it must still overcome the immune system's foreign rejection process. This cancer process may explain how cancers spread within the body from one organ to another.
           There is warning to stop eating clams or swimming since the human immune system would block the cancer cells from clams. I thought this article was pretty unique. I never thought about cancer occurring in animals. This case is interesting, and it could also correlate to the process of cancer cells transferring in the human body since it travels through the water to get to the clam. My only is question is how come the other clam does not reject the cancer cell, but humans would reject the clam's cancer cell?

Original Link: Link1
Supplemental Link: Link2

Genetic "Switches" Linked to Breast Cancer in the Brain

 

        A genetic switch is a chemical mark that turn genes on or off. Researchers from the University of Wolverhampton discovered several genes with defective switches that are linked to breast cancer's spread to the brain. The researchers conducted their study by examining twenty-four breast cancers that had spread to the brain and samples from the original breast tumor. By comparing DNA methylation of the original breast cancer and the later developed brain tumor, the researchers narrowed down the 120 potential chemical switch candidates and dub a "signature" for the cancers that had spread. 

        The researchers were also able to find an early warning signal for tumors that may spread to the brain. Two genetic switches were found to be defective in the early development of the original breast cancer and these chemical marks are allowing scientist to develop a blood test that may detect these warnings before the disease spreads. 

        Dr. Mark Morris, author of the study and reader in Molecular Oncology at University of Wolverhampton, says "Each year the number of women whose breast cancer spreads to the brain is increasing. While we know many of the genetic changes behind breast cancer, we know very little about why the disease can spread to the brain. By identifying the genes that are switched off or on in breast cancer before they spread to the brain, we hope to be able to develop a blood test to spot this change.There's also potential for our findings to be used a starting point to develop treatmnets that might prevent the spread."

        In the UK, 50,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer a year, while 11,600 die from the disease. Up to 30% of breast cancer will spread to the brain, often after the first tumor was already treated. Most women only survive up to seven months after the brain metastases has been diagnosed.

        I think what these researchers are doing is interesting. This is a very unique way of attempting to solve the problem of breast cancer spreading to the brain. Before this article, I did not even though that brain cancer in the brain was common. I believe the genetic switches of many different types of cancer should be studied, especially the more common ones. Genes seem to be very important in the development and spread of cancer. Finding unique ways to analyze cancerous genes will one day lead us to answers of the mysteries of cancer.

Main Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141104194623.htm

Related Article: http://www.itv.com/news/central/2014-11-05/bbb/

The Connection between mtDNA and Breast Cancer Progression

          

A comparison of normal breast cells (top) versus breast cells with low levels of mtDNA

           A team led by Manti Guha and Narayan Avadhani at the University of Pennsylvania have found the connection between low levels ofmitochondrial DNA and the metastasis of human breast cancer cells. Previously, it was known that reduced amounts of mitochondrial DNA existed in patients with aggressive forms of cancer, but the influence of the low levels was not known. The work may allow for a greater understanding of the disease progression and help clinicians provide treatment that is specific for the varying prognoses.

            Mitochondria have several functions in cells. They function in apoptosis (which can allow for the death of cancer cells before metastasis) and cellular metabolism. Mitochondria also code for proteins that deliver energy. Yet, about 80% of individuals with breast cancer have reduced mitochondrial DNA.

            In the study, mtDNA was reduced in two ways: genetically lowering levels of mtDNA and employing a chemical to reduced DNA. Both treatments were administered to cancerous and non-cancerous breast cells. The cells that had reduced levels of mtDNA took on characteristics of cancer cells. The cells had disorganized structure, the cells metabolism was changed, and the cells were self-renewing. Further, these cells had surface markers that are present on breast cancer stem cells.

            Uncovering the connection between low levels of mtDNA and cancer is significant for several reasons.  mtDNA is now a possibility for a target for treatment of aggressive forms of cancer. Further, such a discovery can allow for more personal, specific cancer treatment. Additionally, the research provides insight into the connection between metastatic diseases and mtDNA levels. There is still much potential with such work, as the team would like to study tumor samples and in vivo mouse models.

            Another recent study has provided insight into the progression of breast cancer. Researchers have discovered the connection between Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) and the advancement of the disease. In mice, decreased metastasis resulted from decrease FMRP levels while secondary metastasis and spread of the cancer to the lungs resulted from high levels. Thus, it is believed that FMRP controls mRNAs affecting cancer progression. The discovery can be used to predict the spread of cancer and to reveal aggressive breast cancer.

            I found both articles were very enlightening and promising. As stated in the article on FMRP, the most common cancer in women is breast cancer. Even when the individual thinks they beat the disease, it can return and spread. For the individuals suffering from this terrible disease, there is little hope and much fear. These studies provide the hope that is lacking, in uncovering the mechanisms of the elusive disease and providing hope for more personalized care. I found the possibility of more personalized care as one of the most significant results of this study. Most individuals, myself included, want to be treated as an individual when seeking medical treatment and want to feel that treatment is most effective for their situation. This study may make that possible for those suffering from one of the most dangerous threats to human life. I found this that article was very intriguing, and I am interesting in seeing the results of the future research that the University of Pennsylvania team will conduct.

 Primary article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131108124850.htm

Secondary Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130918090754.htm