This table habit could be dangerous - what does it have to do with cancer

MIT researchers have found that fatty foods activate the YAP1 protein in colorectal cancer cells, triggering a tissue repair mechanism that helps tumors spread. Key roles are played by fat molecules called ceramides. Blocking the enzymes that produce ceramides could prevent metastasis.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered that fatty foods activate the YAP1 protein in colorectal cancer cells, which normally responds to tissue damage. In cancer cells, this protein triggers a program of division and migration, promoting metastasis—most often to the liver. The study, published in the journal Science, showed that fatty foods stimulate the production of special fat molecules—ceramides—which remove the 'brake' on the YAP1 protein, allowing it to enter the cell nucleus and activate genes responsible for stem cells and repair. In experiments on mice, disabling the YAP1 gene or the genes responsible for ceramide production significantly reduced the spread of cancer to the liver. Analysis of data from colorectal cancer patients showed that in patients with metastases, the YAP1 protein was more active, and in patients with a higher body mass index, genes associated with YAP1 were more strongly expressed, correlating with lower survival rates. Scientists plan to develop drugs that block the enzymes DEGS1 and DEGS2 involved in ceramide production, but warn that the results do not yet mean patients with an established diagnosis need to change their diet, as ceramides are also necessary for healthy tissues.