Dine on DNA: Compounds from nucleic acids in food show anticancer effects
Specific nucleosides hinder replication of tumor cells in step toward cancer prevention
- Date:
- August 29, 2024
- Source:
- Osaka Metropolitan University
- Summary:
- A research team has found that compounds in the nucleic acids derived from food can inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells.
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When people eat, they ingest the nucleic acids that reside in all living things. The compounds in these acids could inhibit the growth of cancer cells, according to findings published in PLOS ONE by Osaka Metropolitan University Associate Professor Akiko Kojima-Yuasa of the Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology and colleagues.
Consuming nucleic acids found in food has been shown to boost the immune system and prevent some diseases. The nucleotides and nucleosides that result from digesting the acids are largely responsible for these beneficial effects.
Professor Kojima-Yuasa's team used compounds of nucleic acids derived from salmon milt DNA and torula yeast RNA and showed that chemical compounds like guanosine could prevent the proliferation of certain cancer cells in laboratory rats. The compounds stopped the cells from starting their replication phase.
"Our research provides a new perspective on the physiological functions of nucleic acids derived from food," Professor Kojima-Yuasa explained. "We hold hope that this will be a crucial step toward cancer prevention."
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Materials provided by Osaka Metropolitan University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Nahoko Shiomi, Mamia Furuta, Yutaro Sasaki, Isao Matsui-Yuasa, Keisuke Kiriyama, Mica Fujita, Keita Sutoh, Akiko Kojima-Yuasa. Suppression of Ehrlich ascites tumor cell proliferation via G1 arrest induced by dietary nucleic acid-derived nucleosides. PLOS ONE, 2024; 19 (7): e0305775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305775
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