Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) in Japan, led by Hiroshi Ohno, have found that food antigens, particularly milk proteins, play a crucial role in inhibiting tumor growth in the small intestine. Their study, published in Frontiers in Immunology, reveals how these proteins activate the intestinal immune system to prevent the formation of new tumors.
While food antigens are often associated with allergic reactions, Ohno’s team previously noted that they activate immune cells in the small intestines but not in the large intestine. This new study bridges these observations, exploring the role of food antigens in tumor suppression. Using mice with a mutation in a tumor-suppression gene similar to familial adenomatous polyposis, the researchers found that mice fed normal food developed fewer tumors in the small intestine compared to those on an antigen-free diet.
When the team introduced albumin, a common antigen found in meat, into the antigen-free diet, tumor suppression in the small intestine was achieved, indicating that the presence of food antigens—not merely nutritional value—was essential for this effect. The dietary variations also influenced T cells in the small intestines, with antigen-free diets leading to significantly fewer T cells than normal or modified diets.
These findings carry clinical implications, particularly for patients with gastrointestinal conditions like Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome. Although elemental diets, which lack proteins, are sometimes used to ease digestive strain, their potential risks should be carefully considered, especially in patients at higher risk for small intestinal tumors.
Ohno cautions that individuals without severe gastrointestinal issues may adopt elemental diets for weight loss or to alleviate inflammation, but such diets should only be pursued under medical guidance to avoid unintended health consequences.
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