Food antigens receive a lot of negative press because they are the source of allergic reactions to foods such as peanuts, seafood, bread, eggs and milk. Even when they do not cause allergic reactions, these antigens, together with many others found in plants and legumesThey are still considered strange objects that the immune system must control.
In depth
In the same way, much is discussed of food and their relationship with cancer, for better and worse. Now a new study, researchers at the Riken Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) In Japan they have discovered that some food antigens, specifically proteins present in meat and milk, in addition to other foods, suppress the development of tumors in the small intestine.
However, it is not about relating food intake with cancer risk reduction; The study has observed that components of these foods suppress The tumorogenesis of the small intestinesomething that happens in part due to the rarity of this type of tumor in Comparison with colorectal tumors.
The study, led by Hiroshi Ohno and published in the scientific journal ‘Frontiers in Immunology‘, has revealed how these proteins activate the intestinal immune system, which allows you to stop effectively The birth of new tumors.
Ohno and his team have previously reported that food antigens They activate immune cells in the small intestine, but not in the large intestine. At the same time, it is known that some immune cells activated by intestinal bacteria suppress tumors in the intestine. In the new study, They joined these two lines of thought and proved if food antigens suppress tumors in the small intestine.
More details
The team began with a special type of mouse with a mutation in a tumor suppressor gene. Like people with family adenomatous polyposis, when this gear works badly, mice develop tumors throughout the thin and thick intestine. The first experiment was quite simple. They fed these mice with normal food or food without antigens and discovered that Those who received normal food had fewer tumors in the small intestine, But the same amount in the large intestine.
Next, they added a common representative antigen called albumin, which can be found in the flesh and was not in normal food, to the diet without antigens, making sure that The total amount of protein was equal to the amount of protein in the normal diet. When the mice received this diet, the tumors in the small intestine were suppressed as happened with normal food. This means that Tumor suppression was directly related to the presence of antigennot with the nutritional value of food or any specific antigen.
The three diets also affected immune cells, Specifically to T cells, in the small intestine. The mice that received the simple diet without antigens had much less T cells than those who received normal food or food without antigens with milk protein. Subsequent experiments revealed the biological process that makes this possible.
To take into account
These findings have clinical implications. Like diets without antigens, clinical elementary diets include simple amino acids, but not protein. This reduces digestive work and can help people with Serious gastrointestinal conditionsas Crohn’s disease or irritable intestine syndrome.
According to Ohno, “the tumors of the small intestine are Much more rare than those in the colonbut the risk is greater in cases of family adenomatous polyposis and, therefore, The clinical use of elementary diets to treat intestinal inflammatory disease or other gastrointestinal conditions In these patients it should be considered very careful. “
Elementary diets are sometimes adopted by people without gastrointestinal conditions serious or allergies as a healthy way of losing weight or reducing swelling and inflammation. The new findings suggest that This could be risky and emphasize that these types of diets should not be used without the recommendation of a doctor.
#Investigation #shows #food #antigens #suppress #development #tumors #small #intestine
