The practice of meditation could play on reducing inflammation and cell repair, mechanisms likely to reduce the risk of cancer, according to researchers.
- In order to explore the link between meditation and cancer prevention, researchers have analyzed extracellular vesicles in the blood of cancer survivors. They identified seven microarn linked to meditation, capable of reducing inflammation and promoting cell repair.
- Researchers have also developed an innovative device to detect these biomarkers quickly and at low cost. A technology that could improve the diagnosis of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer.
- This advance opens the way to preventive medicine, making it possible to anticipate diseases long before the appearance of symptoms and improve patient care.
Meditation and mindfulness have long been recognized for their benefits on mental and physical well-being. But could they also play a role in the prevention and early detection of cancer? This is the question that an international team of researchers, led by Maria Goreti Sales, professor at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. Their results were published in Horizona free access newspaper attached to the European Commission.
A link between meditation and cellular communication
The Mindgap research project, carried out between 2019 and 2024, explored the biochemical links between the brain and the body, in particular the role of extracellular vesicles (VE), tiny massages that transport information between cells. The team analyzed the blood samples of cancer survivors, in order to compare those who regularly practice meditation to those who do not do at all.
In doing so, scientists have been able to identify seven microarn (tiny pieces of genetic material) present in the VEs of “meditating” people, likely to have an impact on the expression of genes in cells and to promote the reduction of ‘Inflammation and cell repair. In other words, this suggests that the practice of meditation could influence cell communication beneficially for health. “Could extracellular vesicles provide the missing link?”wonders Maria Goreti Sales.
A technology to follow biomarkers
That’s not all: in addition to these discoveries, the researchers have designed an innovative device capable of detecting and analyzing the messages transported by the VE in the blood. Using synthetic antibodies imitating natural antibodies, this compact device works with disposable cartridges (the size of a credit card) and allows a quick and low cost analysis of microarn, a booming field in medicine. The authors claim that this technology could be “Determining for the diagnosis of serious diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative conditions”.
The team is considering a future where this technology would anticipate diseases well before the appearance of symptoms. “By identifying biomarkers that signal the first signs of a pathology, we could intervene preventively.” The next step will be to deepen this research to better understand how mindfulness can influence all of these biological processes.
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