A new study has revealed that reduced blood flow can lead to premature aging of bone marrow, weakening the immune system’s ability to fight cancer. The findings showed that peripheral ischemia—poor blood circulation in the arteries of the legs—doubles the growth rate of breast tumors in mice compared to healthy mice.
اضافة اعلان
The study was conducted by researchers at NYU Langone Health and published in JACC: CardioOncology on August 19.
These results build on a 2020 study by the same team, which showed that ischemia during a heart attack had a similar effect. Ischemia occurs when fatty deposits such as cholesterol accumulate in artery walls, causing inflammation and clotting that restrict oxygen-rich blood flow. When this happens in the legs, it leads to peripheral artery disease, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Dr. Kathryn J. Moore, a co-author from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, stated:
“Our study shows that impaired blood flow promotes cancer growth regardless of where it occurs in the body.”
She added, “This underscores the importance of addressing metabolic and vascular risk factors as part of a comprehensive cancer treatment strategy.”
The research team also discovered that reduced blood flow alters immune cell behavior, making them less effective at fighting infection and cancer—mimicking immune aging.
The study found that low blood flow disrupts immune balance by reprogramming bone marrow stem cells to produce more myeloid cells (such as neutrophils and macrophages) that suppress immune responses, while reducing the production of lymphocytes (like T-cells) that are critical in killing tumors.
Additionally, tumors in these conditions showed higher levels of immunosuppressive cells, providing cancer with more protection from immune attacks. Experiments revealed that these immune changes are long-lasting, involving not only shifts in gene expression but also a restructuring of chromatin, making it harder for immune cells to activate cancer-fighting genes.
Dr. Alexandra Newman, another co-author, explained:
“Our findings reveal a direct mechanism by which ischemia drives cancer growth—by reprogramming stem cells in ways that mimic aging and promote immune tolerance.”
This discovery opens the door to new prevention and treatment strategies for cancer, such as early screening for patients with peripheral artery disease, and using anti-inflammatory therapies to counteract these harmful effects.
