Researchers have found that the simple sugar fructose may act as a molecular signal prompting cancer cells that survive chemotherapy to spread throughout the body once again. This finding could explain why the disease frequently recurs after treatment, according to a report published by the British newspaper The Independent.
اضافة اعلان
Natural simple fructose—also known as "fruit sugar"—occurs naturally in fruits, honey, and certain vegetables. However, in modern diets, it is widely used as an added sweetener in large quantities across soft drinks, sweetened juices, pastries, processed foods, and fast food.
The study, led by a team from The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia and published in the journal Nature Ageing, focused on ovarian cancer. However, researchers suspect the findings may apply to other cancer types as well.
When cancer patients undergo chemotherapy, not all cancer cells are destroyed; some manage to survive. The researchers discovered that while these surviving cells may stop dividing, they remain biologically active and continuously send signaling molecules to neighboring cancer cells, encouraging them to metastasize to other parts of the body.
"Our study is among the first to show that a nutrient—fructose—can act as one of those signals," said Aidan Cole, lead author of the study.
Key Findings on Ovarian Cancer & Mechanism
The study focused on ovarian cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. While patients initially respond well to treatment, the cancer tends to recur in the majority of cases, spreading throughout the abdominal cavity. This post-chemotherapy metastasis accounts for approximately 90% of ovarian cancer-related deaths.
The research confirmed that molecules released by chemotherapy-surviving cells alone are capable of significantly increasing cancer cell spread—marking the first time this effect has been demonstrated in animal models rather than just in vitro.
Upon analyzing these molecular signals, researchers discovered that fructose produced by surviving cells acts as the primary signal driving increased cancer metastasis:
Cholesterol Level Stabilization: Fructose stabilizes cholesterol levels inside neighboring cancer cells.
Cellular Adhesion: In this context, cholesterol acts as a "glue" holding cells together.
Detachment and Metastasis: When cholesterol levels drop, cells become less adherent, allowing surviving cancer cells to break free and spread more easily across the body.
Dietary Implications & Future Research
Researchers warn that consuming high amounts of fructose—such as through sugary drinks and sweetened juices—may stimulate cancer cells to spread even in the absence of chemotherapy.
Although the efficacy of reducing fructose intake has not yet been clinically tested on human patients, the findings open new avenues for understanding the role of nutrition in cancer progression.
The research team believes these findings may extend beyond ovarian cancer and plans additional trials to test applicability to other tumor types. This could pioneer a new understanding of the relationship between diet, chemotherapy, and tumor metastasis, raising critical questions on how to enhance existing treatments and lower recurrence risks.
