Scientists have discovered that these two metals present in the body through food have harmful effects on cancer patients because they promote the development of tumors.
- Iron and copper are involved in increasing tumor size in cancer patients.
- A prototype drug was developed by the researchers.
- Further studies will be conducted to develop new therapies.
It is an important discovery in oncology: iron and copper play a deleterious role in cancer patients. This is the result of a study published in the journal Naturewhose lead author, Dr. Raphaël Rodriguez, spoke to France info on the sidelines of the annual Cancer Congress, theAmerican society of clinical oncology (ASCO), which took place in Chicago, USA.
Tumor size may increase in the presence of iron and copper
“Until now, the role that these metals play in cancer had been little studied, explains Dr. Raphaël Rodriguez. [Le fer et le cuivre augmentent] the size of the tumor, the ability of the cells to form metastases. We find it hard to believe ourselves, it’s all new.” LIron and copper are, however, essential elements for the body, which, like other trace elements, such as magnesium or zinc, are provided by food.
So if they are harmful to cancer patients, should we eliminate these two metals? “Stopping giving iron is complicated because we need it for the body’s vital functions, but there is a way to give it, particularly to patients who suffer from anemia, he says. Dr. Raphael Rodriguez. And then there are certain molecules that exist in the clinic for other treatments, other diseases, such as metformin which is used for type 2 diabetes, which can have an anti-inflammatory effect and an anti-metastatic effect.”
A drug to reduce the harmful effects of iron and copper on tumors?
According to the study’s leaders, inflammation helps eliminate pathogens and repair damaged tissues, but if the immune system is out of control, inflammation goes out of control, causing damage and contributing to pathological processes. In cancer, inflammation is involved in the development of tumors.
“Our work has allowed us to develop a prototype drug that inactivates copper in the cell’s metabolic machinery, thereby blocking the expression of genes involved in inflammation.explains Dr. Raphaël Rodriguez in a press release. The genes activated within cancer cells are not the same as those involved in immune cells, but the chain reaction that leads to epigenetic modifications is identical. Our study finally reveals that inflammatory and cancerous processes depend on similar molecular mechanisms and could therefore benefit in the future from similar innovative therapies.”
In the future, the scientists hope to develop a treatment that can reduce the harmful effects of iron and copper in cancer patients. The next step in their research will be to better understand the role of other trace elements such as zinc or nickel.
