Impact of high-fat diet on prostate cancer metastasis

Obesity, linked to both prostate cancer death and overall mortality, is influenced by a high-fat diet. While a high-fat diet is known to contribute to obesity, its role in prostate cancer metastasis is unclear.

In this study, researchers tested the effects of a high-fat diet on prostate cancer metastasis in mice. They found that a high-fat diet increased prostate cancer spread, and bioinformatics showed higher levels of RPS27, a protein linked to poor prognosis in prostate cancer.

Experiments confirmed that RPS27 promotes prostate cancer metastasis, especially to the liver, while reducing RPS27 slowed down metastasis. Additionally, RPS27 inhibition blocked the impact of high-fat diet on metastasis.

The study concludes that a high-fat diet increases prostate cancer metastasis by raising RPS27 levels, which in turn activates genes that drive cancer progression. Therefore, if these results tranlate to human prostate cancer, targeting RPS27 could be a potential strategy for diagnosing and treating metastatic prostate cancer.

Sayan M et al JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Oct 2;6(10):e2336390. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023. 36390. PMID: 37801315