A vitamin A metabolite may suppress colorectal cancer development, according to a study published in Immunity.
The researchers treated intestinal tissues of mice with two chemicals, which led the mice to either develop intestinal inflammation or colorectal cancer tumors. Using a technique called quantitative mass spectrometry, they then measured the levels of a vitamin A metabolite, retinoic acid, in the intestinal tissues.
The researchers compared their findings in mice with an analysis of human intestinal tissue samples.
Here's what you need to know:
1. The researchers found that levels of retinoic acid, which is involved in suppressing intestinal inflammation, were lower in the mice that developed colorectal cancer.
2. The mice with colorectal cancer had intestinal tissues that made less of a protein that synthesizes retinoic acid. They also had about four times more of a protein that degrades retinoic acid.
3. When researchers increased the amount of retinoic acid in the animals' intestines, the researchers saw a reduction in their tumor burden.
4. The researchers also analyzed stored samples of human intestinal tissue from individuals with either ulcerative colitis or colorectal cancer. Like the mice, human colorectal cancer tissue had lower levels of the retinoic acid synthesis protein and higher levels of the retinoic acid degradation protein when compared with the human ulcerative colitis tissue.
5. This study has implications for new colorectal cancer prevention and treatment methods.