According to a recent study, a test conducted on mice showed an association of obesity with a weakened immune system in the detection of oral cancer.
A team led by Dr. Yu Leo Lei, PhD, from the Cancer Center and School of Dentistry at the University of Michigan at Rogel, reported that obesity helps create a type of tumor microenvironment that promotes tumor progression .
“We tend to think of an increased risk of developing tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, breast, pancreatic and ovarian cancers when it comes to obesity,” Lei said in a university press release. However, recent research show that the association between obesity and oral cancer risk is underestimated, he noted.
To further clarify the association, the group investigated the relationship between saturated fatty acids, the interferon gene stimulator (STING) type I interferon pathway, and NLRC3, a newly identified DNA-binding protein that suppresses the STING pathway.
In essence, the team found that saturated fatty acids can block the STING pathway, which is induced by cytosolic DNA and promotes the maturation of antigen-presenting cells, by inducing NLRC3.
“Myeloid cells in obese mice were insensitive to STING agonists and suppressed T-cell activation to a greater extent than myeloid cells in lean mice,” Lei explained. This feature resulted in the loss of immune subsets that were critical for antitumor immunity in the tumor microenvironment.
Lay said this is the first study to establish a mechanical link between obesity and immunity to oral cancer. “We are delighted with the results,” Lay concluded.