Fructose, a simple sugar naturally found in fruit, honey and as an additive in some sweet foods, could prove to be a precious ally in the fight against cancer. A Chinese study, conducted by researchers from Shanghai Chest Hospital and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, indicates that a diet rich in fructose is able to strengthen the immune response against tumors, reducing its progression and lethality. Oncologist Paolo Ascierto clarifies the results of the research, published in 'Cell Metabolism' and commented in an editorial in 'Nature Immunology': “The study does not indicate that stocking up on sugar automatically helps to fight the tumor”, he explains, underlining how “further studies are needed to help us understand if and how we can exploit fructose to strengthen the action of our immune system against cancer”.
“We have known for some time that fructose is associated with the growth of some tumors, such as intestinal tumors, and metastases – says Ascierto of the National Cancer Institute Pascale Foundation of Naples and president of the Melanoma Foundation – What until now was still unclear is its impact on the anti-tumor immune response. The new study partially fills this gap and shows that a diet rich in fructose is able to strengthen the immune response against cancer, controlling its growth. Dietary fructose, therefore, promotes the antitumor immunity of cells”.
The authors of the work – summarizes a note – fed a group of mice affected by melanoma with a diet rich in fructose and another group with a normal diet. It was thus observed that already after 2 weeks the rodents fed a high-fructose diet recorded a significant reduction in tumor growth and cancer-induced lethality, compared to those in the control group. An earlier study in mice with lung cancer also showed that feeding the animals a high-fructose diet reduced tumor size and increased survival.
“In the new study – details Ascierto – Chinese researchers observed that dietary fructose increases the immune response of T lymphocytes called CD8+, which have the function of identifying and killing tumor cells, thus controlling the progression of the disease. In particular, the consumption of fructose triggered the production of leptin, the hormone produced by adipose tissue that signals the brain to feel full, both in the blood and in tumor tissue. The increase in leptin is associated with the increase in the activity of T lymphocytes anti-tumor agents, thus enhancing the immune response against cancer”. The authors also found that higher plasma leptin levels correlated with increased antitumor T cell activity in lung cancer patients.
Sugar is not the first ingredient rehabilitated by science. In December it also happened to beef and dairy products, which according to a work published in 'Nature' contain a substance – trans-vaccenic acid or Tva – capable of improving the immune response against cancer. “As for meat which contains a key ingredient, TVA, capable of enhancing immunotherapy – concludes Ascierto – even for sugar, in particular for fructose, it may not be all black or white”. Hence the need to delve deeper into the data arriving from Shanghai with new research, to understand if and how 'with a little sugar' new successes against cancer can be achieved.
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