A high-fat diet increases the risk of liver cancer.

A study by MIT published in the journal Cell shows that a high-fat diet causes liver cell degeneration, thereby silently increasing the risk of liver cancer.

A high-fat diet can reprogram liver cells, forcing them to switch to a stem cell-like survival state, thereby increasing the risk of liver cancer. (Source: Shutterstock)

A new study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), published in the journal Cell , shows that a high-fat diet not only damages the liver but also profoundly alters the structure and function of liver cells, creating conditions for cancer development.

According to the research team, prolonged exposure to excess fat causes mature liver cells to gradually lose their specialized state, reverting to a primitive, stem-cell-like form. This adaptation helps the cells survive metabolic stress, but at the same time increases the risk of malignant transformation.

Professor Alex K. Shalek, Director of the Institute for Health Sciences and Engineering (at MIT), said that biological programs that help cells survive in a fat-rich environment come at the cost of tumor formation.

Experiments on mice fed a high-fat diet, combined with single-cell RNA sequencing, showed that genes promoting survival and division were strongly activated, while genes responsible for normal liver function were gradually suppressed. As a result, most mice developed liver cancer by the end of the experiment.

According to graduate student Constantine Tzouanas, co-lead author, the "immature" state makes liver cells more susceptible to cancer because they already have activated oncogenes, giving them an advantage in tumor formation when mutations occur.

Analysis of liver tissue from patients at various stages of the disease showed results in humans consistent with experiments in mice. Over time, genes that maintain liver function decline, while genes associated with immature cell states become more active and more susceptible to damage after cancer develops.

Scientists believe that in humans, this process occurs more slowly, potentially taking decades and being influenced by many factors such as diet, alcohol consumption, or viral infections. The research team is now continuing to investigate the possibility of reversing these changes, thereby opening up new approaches in the prevention and treatment of liver cancer.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/che-do-an-nhieu-chat-beo-lam-tang-nguy-co-ung-thu-gan-338673.html