Science and Technology Daily (Reporter Liu Xia) British scientists published a paper in the latest issue of the International Journal of Cancer, stating that they have for the first time pinpointed exactly how exercise reduces the risk of bowel cancer and slows tumor growth. Their research shows that exercise causes the cancer-fighting protein interleukin-6 (IL-6) to be released into the bloodstream to help repair the DNA of damaged cells, leading to new treatments for bowel cancer.
Sam Orange, Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at Newcastle University, who led the latest study, said: “Previous scientific evidence has shown that more exercise is associated with a lower risk of bowel cancer, and our findings support this. One point of view. If you exercise multiple times a week over an extended period of time, cancer-fighting substances such as IL-6 released into the bloodstream have the opportunity to interact with abnormal cells, repair their DNA and inhibit the formation of cancer cells.”
In the new study, scientists recruited 16 men between the ages of 50 and 80 whose lifestyles—such as being overweight or obese, and not participating in physical activity—were risk factors for developing cancer. risk.
The researchers took an initial blood sample from the men, then had them ride an indoor bike at moderate intensity for 30 minutes, and then took a second blood sample immediately afterward. As a control, on another day, the scientists took blood samples before and after the participants rested. They found that blood samples taken directly after exercise had increased IL-6 protein compared to resting samples.
The scientists added bowel cancer cells to the blood samples and monitored cell growth over a 48-hour period. It was found that blood samples taken directly after exercise slowed the growth of cancer cells and also reduced the extent of DNA damage compared with resting samples, suggesting that exercise can repair cells.
Researchers estimate that exercise can reduce the risk of bowel cancer by about 20 percent. The team plans to conduct further research to determine how exercise reduces DNA damage in early-stage bowel cancer and to suggest the most effective form of exercise to prevent the disease.