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multigraincracker

(34,016 posts)
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 09:02 AM Feb 2022

Pancreatic cancer cells feed off hyaluronic acid

I have friends that have died from pancreatic cancer, seems like lots of them.

https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/lab-report/pancreatic-cancer-cells-feed-off-hyaluronic-acid?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Read%20more&utm_campaign=2019-09-16LabWeeklyDigest

Often found in beauty products and wellness supplements, hyaluronic acid attracts and retains water well. It’s also a major player in the physiology of pancreatic tumors.

Hyaluronic acid, or HA, is a known presence in pancreatic tumors, but a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center shows that hyaluronic acid also acts as food to the cancer cells. These findings, recently published in eLife, provide insight into how pancreatic cancer cells grow and indicate new possibilities to treat them.

“A central driving theme in my research lab is that pancreatic cancer doesn't respond to the common arsenal of treatment approaches. We need to think about this challenge differently,” said Costas Lyssiotis, Ph.D., the lead investigator on the study. He and his team study the metabolism of pancreatic cancer in preclinical models: how cells obtain nutrients and the spectrum of nutrients they utilize to fuel growth and enable therapeutic resistance.

The tumor microenvironment, or the cells that make up the tumor, are a combination of many different cell types, some malignant, some not. A pancreatic tumor’s microenvironment is highly stromal, meaning the mass itself is mostly comprised of connective tissue and non-cancerous immune cells.

44 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Pancreatic cancer cells feed off hyaluronic acid (Original Post) multigraincracker Feb 2022 OP
That is very interesting. nt Phoenix61 Feb 2022 #1
Holy crap! I take a host of nutritional supplements. no_hypocrisy Feb 2022 #2
Rule of thumb, A and A-1 jaxexpat Feb 2022 #14
I try just to eat healthy Tree Lady Feb 2022 #32
Good for you! StClone Feb 2022 #34
I am working on gums too Tree Lady Feb 2022 #36
I'm a gum control advocate as well. jaxexpat Feb 2022 #43
Fascinating. HA seems to be in so many things. niyad Feb 2022 #3
Eek, it's the main ingredient in my face serum. MLAA Feb 2022 #5
It's also in many things we ingest ToxMarz Feb 2022 #10
I've never noticed it in lists of food ingredients. MLAA Feb 2022 #23
I don't know about food so much ToxMarz Feb 2022 #41
In lots of healthy foods. multigraincracker Feb 2022 #8
As a natural ingredient or added one? wnylib Feb 2022 #21
Natural. multigraincracker Feb 2022 #27
Well, that's scary as hell. Hyaluronic acid is in a lot of vitamin supplements. Beef bone broth, BComplex Feb 2022 #4
In lots of healthy foods and multigraincracker Feb 2022 #6
Since it is so prevalent, should wnylib Feb 2022 #22
see post #11 multigraincracker Feb 2022 #28
Good question. Seems like it is available everywhere so live love laugh Feb 2022 #44
I purposefully purchase skin products with hyaluronic acid,,,, sheesh,,,, n/t KarenS Feb 2022 #7
Me too! MLAA Feb 2022 #24
I just threw out my under-eye gel Wicked Blue Feb 2022 #9
More from U of M on same topic. multigraincracker Feb 2022 #11
My first reaction... HariSeldon Feb 2022 #38
Will be interesting to find whether it has a presence in other tumors question everything Feb 2022 #12
Relax folks, it's not about what you should or shouldn't eat! nilram Feb 2022 #13
Step right up! Get your hyaluronic acid cravings fed right here!! bucolic_frolic Feb 2022 #15
My younger brother died of pan. cancer year ago. He never used or imbibed any of those... FailureToCommunicate Feb 2022 #16
This may very well be true. TNNurse Feb 2022 #17
Please read post #11 multigraincracker Feb 2022 #19
This is hard to figure out nutritionally. ananda Feb 2022 #18
See post #11 multigraincracker Feb 2022 #20
Oh great... another touted ingredient is bad for you! liberalla Feb 2022 #25
I'd suggest reading the second article too. multigraincracker Feb 2022 #29
Took my dad, nasty stuff n/t hibbing Feb 2022 #26
4 people I know have died from it multigraincracker Feb 2022 #30
Ugh...hang in there hibbing Feb 2022 #39
I am not going to get to concerned about it at this moment in time Layzeebeaver Feb 2022 #31
It's not about what you eat or put on your face! nilram Feb 2022 #33
From this paper it appears that the hyaluronic acid (HA) is not from supplements. TexLaProgressive Feb 2022 #35
Let's not be drawn into misleading inferences. NNadir Feb 2022 #37
Post #11 goes into more detail multigraincracker Feb 2022 #40
Isn't it also hippywife Feb 2022 #42

no_hypocrisy

(48,689 posts)
2. Holy crap! I take a host of nutritional supplements.
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 09:12 AM
Feb 2022

Some are tablets, some are capsules, and some are gels.

I wonder if it's the capsules or the plastic that the stuff is encased in.

I never considered one could create cancer from trying to stay healthy.

I wish the article had more information about what it meant by "wellness supplements".

jaxexpat

(7,725 posts)
14. Rule of thumb, A and A-1
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 09:55 AM
Feb 2022

A: If it's NOT likely to have been in the available human diet for millennia, it is suspect.
A-1: Especially suspect if it's advertised and promoted to aid health.

StClone

(11,869 posts)
34. Good for you!
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 11:33 AM
Feb 2022

I take Vitamin D every day as well as Q10. My dentist recommended this years ago for gum health-it seems to work. And if you have healthy gums it seems your overall health is good!

Tree Lady

(12,205 posts)
36. I am working on gums too
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 11:45 AM
Feb 2022

Just bought a waterpik flossing back teeth is harder for me. I wasn't very good with my teeth when younger so getting better habits now.

jaxexpat

(7,725 posts)
43. I'm a gum control advocate as well.
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 09:57 PM
Feb 2022

Too many gums held irresponsibly is a recipe for disaster. I think we need some laws with teeth.

ToxMarz

(2,242 posts)
10. It's also in many things we ingest
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 09:49 AM
Feb 2022

I would be more concerned about that than something applied to the skin, but I'm not a doctor so who knows.

MLAA

(18,585 posts)
23. I've never noticed it in lists of food ingredients.
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 10:57 AM
Feb 2022

Thanks for the heads up. I usually read ingredients closely because I don’t want to eat any animal products, it it never occurred to me to look for HA. I will have to be more vigilant!

ToxMarz

(2,242 posts)
41. I don't know about food so much
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 05:45 PM
Feb 2022

But people inject it for wrinkles and joint pain, take it as a supplement in pill form and other things that would be more concentrated than what might absorb through the skin.

BComplex

(9,049 posts)
4. Well, that's scary as hell. Hyaluronic acid is in a lot of vitamin supplements. Beef bone broth,
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 09:16 AM
Feb 2022

too.

I'm glad these scientists are looking into it, however. There's been a big jump in pancreatic cancers in North Carolina....people I know, not statistically.

multigraincracker

(34,016 posts)
28. see post #11
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 11:10 AM
Feb 2022

Looks like the best hope is to find something to reduce affect on that organ and keep the healthy part.
Not sure I'd avoid it now.

live love laugh

(14,357 posts)
44. Good question. Seems like it is available everywhere so
Sat Feb 5, 2022, 01:22 AM
Feb 2022

that local clusters might have other causes.

It would be interesting to see if any cluster areas also had identified sources of HA.

Wicked Blue

(6,630 posts)
9. I just threw out my under-eye gel
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 09:36 AM
Feb 2022

which contains rose hip oil and hyaluronic acid. Thank goodness I rarely bothered using it.

Thank you for posting this information!

multigraincracker

(34,016 posts)
11. More from U of M on same topic.
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 09:50 AM
Feb 2022

Hope this helps.

https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/lab-report/cell-hunters-starving-pancreatic-cancer-by-targeting-cell-metabolism

Cell Hunters: Starving Pancreatic Cancer by Targeting Cell Metabolism

Comprehending how pancreatic tumor cells thrive might be the key to new therapies and diagnostic tools.

HariSeldon

(499 posts)
38. My first reaction...
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 11:54 AM
Feb 2022

...was "Ooh, something preferentially consumed by cancer cells? Can we make it radioactive or oncotoxic?"

nilram

(2,972 posts)
13. Relax folks, it's not about what you should or shouldn't eat!
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 09:54 AM
Feb 2022

It’s about using this newly-discovered nutrient pathway for drug development. My mom died from pancreatic cancer but I’m not gonna worry about any HA that I might put on my skin or eat in my food.

“People have been studying hyaluronic acid in pancreatic cancer for 20 years and no one had ever thought to see if it could be a nutrient for cancer cells,” Lyssiotis said. “We’re going to dig deeper into this idea and see if it represents a therapeutic vulnerability that can be drugged.”

FailureToCommunicate

(14,314 posts)
16. My younger brother died of pan. cancer year ago. He never used or imbibed any of those...
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 10:25 AM
Feb 2022

products mentioned. Just awful luck, it seemed, in his case.

TNNurse

(7,107 posts)
17. This may very well be true.
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 10:36 AM
Feb 2022

But one study does not validate a result.

Caution is of course a good idea, but lets see what other studies show.

One inaccurate study did a lot of anti-vaccine harm.

Again, not disputing the results, it needs more study.

ananda

(30,774 posts)
18. This is hard to figure out nutritionally.
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 10:37 AM
Feb 2022

I don't use skincare prodcuts, but I do eat healthy
foods and won't stop just because of that.

I think we need some hyaluronic acid in our diets,
but not overly much maybe.

liberalla

(9,985 posts)
25. Oh great... another touted ingredient is bad for you!
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 11:01 AM
Feb 2022

I haven't read the whole article... this is just my immediate reaction to the headline...

I will read it on my break.

multigraincracker

(34,016 posts)
29. I'd suggest reading the second article too.
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 11:13 AM
Feb 2022

See post #11 for that one. Puts some perspective with the first one.

Layzeebeaver

(1,864 posts)
31. I am not going to get to concerned about it at this moment in time
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 11:19 AM
Feb 2022

Butter was good once, then it became bad

Butter replacements were then good. Now they appear to be getting a bad rap.

Now butter is back to being good.

This is only one example - it also depends on what companies are sponsoring the research and what conclusions they are trying to get to support their product advertising and sales.

It sounds like the HA is a component of the pancreas tumor cell ecosystem - not like it causes the cancer - but it might be a help to the tumor cells and their survival. It is therefore being researched as a drug delivery vector that could target the cancer cells directly and selectively.

This is a good news story not a doom and gloom moment.

Carry on with your supplements and beauty serums. As soon as there is statistical data to prove a cancer link THEN hit the panic switch and order a special trash pick up.

nilram

(2,972 posts)
33. It's not about what you eat or put on your face!
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 11:23 AM
Feb 2022

It’s about a pathway they are trying to exploit. Maybe they can attach a poison to HA, for instance.

“We’re going to dig deeper into this idea and see if it represents a therapeutic vulnerability that can be drugged.”

TexLaProgressive

(12,280 posts)
35. From this paper it appears that the hyaluronic acid (HA) is not from supplements.
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 11:39 AM
Feb 2022

Summary
In PDAC tissues, HA is secreted from tumor cells and stromal cells through upregulation of HAS in response to tumor–stroma interactions. The secreted HA, or its smaller fragments, may promote tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis through HA‐receptor signaling and also serve as a barrier to access of chemotherapeutic agents to tumor cells. Given these links of HA with cancer progression, targeting HA represents a potential therapeutic approach for treatment of PDAC. There are different approaches of HA‐targeted therapies that include strategies aimed at inhibiting HA synthesis, blocking HA‐receptor signaling, and depleting stromal HA (Fig. ​ Fig.33).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4970823/

NNadir

(34,597 posts)
37. Let's not be drawn into misleading inferences.
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 11:50 AM
Feb 2022

Hyaluronic acid is naturally synthesized in human tissue, of which it is an essential component.

It is a naturally occurring anino sugar polymer.

It is not simply a dietary supplement.

multigraincracker

(34,016 posts)
40. Post #11 goes into more detail
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 03:37 PM
Feb 2022

Looks more like a path to more research to get a cure for cancer. From the same University.

hippywife

(22,767 posts)
42. Isn't it also
Fri Feb 4, 2022, 07:56 PM
Feb 2022

what they use to inject patient's knees when they lose the all cushioning cartilage in them? I saw an article about these injections a long time ago, hoping that they would also be able to inject them into the ankle, but so far no luck.

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