MDLinxScientists Discover Proteins in Meat, Milk, and Other Foods Suppress Gut Tumors

Read the original article

Recent research from RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences demonstrates that dietary proteins play a crucial role in tumor suppression within the small intestine. The study reveals how food antigens activate intestinal immune responses, specifically T cells, leading to reduced tumor formation in mouse models with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).

Key Points:

• Food antigens, including common proteins found in meat and milk, activate immune cells specifically in the small intestine but not in the large intestine. This selective activation contributes to tumor suppression in the small intestine only.
• Mice fed antigen-free diets developed more tumors in the small intestine compared to those on normal diets or antigen-supplemented diets, while large intestine tumor rates remained unchanged across all groups.
• The tumor-suppressive effect is linked to the presence of antigens rather than nutritional value, as demonstrated by experiments using albumin supplementation in antigen-free diets.
• T cell populations in the small intestine significantly decreased in mice receiving antigen-free diets compared to those on normal or antigen-supplemented diets.
• Clinical implications directly impact patients with FAP, suggesting careful consideration before prescribing elemental diets for gastrointestinal conditions in this population.

“The clinical use of elemental diets to treat inflammatory bowel disease or other gastrointestinal conditions in these patients should be considered very carefully.”
– Hiroshi Ohno, Lead Researcher

More on Gut Health