February 9, 2018.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women. A study found that limiting the intake of asparagine – a molecule found in certain foods – reduced the spread of cancer to the rest of the body.
Asparagine, what is it?
Asparagine is a molecule found in certain foods rich in animal and plant proteins such as beef, poultry, eggs, fish, seafood, legumes, dairy products, whey, but also asparagus, potatoes, nuts, seeds and soybeans.
In some cases of breast cancer, such as “triple negative” breast cancer, researchers have found, through tests on mice with breast tumors, that asparagine promoted metastasis, that is, the spread of cancer to other organs. Results: the mice which received a diet poor in asparagine responded better to treatment with chemotherapy than their congeners.
Hope to fight cancer ” triple negative “
Thanks to this study published in the journal Nature, researchers have understood that dietary changes can influence both the onset of the disease, its development and spread to other organs but also on the response to the primary treatment followed by the patient.
In fact, in the case of so-called “triple negative” cancer, the cells do not have the usual hormonal receptors (such as the HER2 protein) which represent a major therapeutic target. This form of cancer is therefore more resistant to treatment. Several clinical trials will be set up to confirm these results in sick women.
Maylis Choné
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