Researchers have identified a key mechanism to better understand the link between overconsumption of red meat and the risk of colorectal cancer.
- Researchers have found that iron in red meat reactivates telomerase, an enzyme that promotes the growth of cancer cells.
- They also identified a promising molecule, SP2509, which blocks this reactivation and reduces tumor growth.
- This discovery opens new perspectives for the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer, by targeting the interactions of iron with telomerase, particularly for patients with high iron levels.
Colorectal cancer, which affects the colon or rectum, is the third most common cancer in the world, particularly in France, where more than 40,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Although we now know, thanks to various studies, that excessive consumption of red or processed meat is a risk factor for colorectal cancer, the biological mechanisms behind this association are still poorly understood.
A new study, published in the journal Cancer Discoverysheds further light on this mystery by showing how certain dietary choices can influence, at the molecular level, the development of cancer.
The role of iron contained in red meat
As part of their work, researchers from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the National Cancer Center Singapore (NCCS), in Singapore, analyzed samples from patients suffering from this cancer and used advanced cellular models. They discovered that the iron in red meat interacts with a specific protein, called Pirin, and reactivates telomerase, an enzyme that extends the ends of chromosomes and promotes the progression of colorectal cancer.
But that’s not all: the team has also identified a promising new therapeutic avenue. She discovered that a molecule called SP2509 can block the reactivation of telomerase by inhibiting the interaction of iron with the enzyme. In laboratory tests, this molecule not only stopped the activity of telomerase but also reduced the growth of tumor cells.
Towards more effective treatments against colorectal cancer
“Understanding the role of iron in the activation of telomerase opens new perspectives for combating colorectal cancer”assures Professor Vinay Tergaonkar, lead author of the study, in a press release.
The researchers’ next steps will be to refine therapeutic strategies targeting this mechanism, in the hope of developing more effective treatments, particularly for patients with elevated iron levels. The SP2509 molecule, in particular, could revolutionize the treatment of cancers by inhibiting the growth of tumors via this new mechanism.
