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High-Fructose Corn Syrup Enhances Tumor Growth in a Mouse Model of Intestinal Cancer
In a new study, researchers have found that consumption of high-fructose corn syrup can enhance tumor growth in mice that are genetically predisposed to develop intestinal cancer. Whether these observations with mice are relevant to the development of human intestinal cancer was not addressed in the study but is an important question for future investigation. The mouse study was prompted by human epidemiological studies that had revealed a correlation between higher intake of beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and obesity, and by other studies that had revealed a correlation between obesity and a higher risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Marcus Goncalves and colleagues set out to investigate whether HFCS contributes directly to tumor development in the absence of obesity. To do this, they studied mice that were genetically predisposed to develop intestinal adenomas (benign tumors that can develop into colorectal cancer). Goncalves et al. fed the animals both moderate and large amounts of HFCS and discovered that consumption of even moderate quantities of HFCS led to dramatic increases in intestinal tumor size and grade in the mice. What’s more, the results demonstrate that this increase occurred independently of the common confounding conditions of obesity and metabolic syndrome. The authors next explored the molecular mechanism underlying this effect. They found that an enzyme in the mouse tumors converts fructose into fructose-1-phosphate, which alters tumor cell metabolism, creating fatty acids that support tumor growth. If future research shows that HFCS has a similar growth-enhancing effect on human tumors, the study’s findings suggest that treatments targeting fructose metabolism could provide new strategies for slowing the development and progression of colorectal cancer. In a related video, one of the study’s two lead authors, Dr. Lewis Cantley, discusses the study in more detail, including its limitations.
Expert Reaction
These comments have been collated by the Science Media Centre to provide a variety of expert perspectives on this issue. Feel free to use these quotes in your stories. Views expressed are the personal opinions of the experts named. They do not represent the views of the SMC or any other organisation unless specifically stated.
Professor Mark Molloy is Lawrence Penn Chair of Bowel Cancer Research at the Kolling Institute and the University of Sydney
They [the researchers] show in mice how small intake of fructose, equivalent to roughly 1/2 can sweetened sugary beverage (SSB), taken daily, did not cause obesity but rewired metabolism to enhance glycolysis and fatty acid synthesis in the gut.
They showed in a mouse model which is pre-disposed to develop intestinal cancers that this level of fructose enhances the number of tumours and the high grade aggressiveness of the tumours compared to control animals.
The research suggests the importance of controlling how fructose is metabolised in bowel cancer patients as it could be enhancing tumour growth.
This research did NOT demonstrate that consumption of fructose from SSBs induces bowel cancer growth, these mice were predisposed to tumours, but the fructose enhanced it.
Associate Professor Michael Skilton is a Future Leader Fellow and Program Leader at The Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders at the University of Sydney
High fructose corn syrup is a sweetener that is used in industrial food production, particularly in the USA. In this study, the researchers find that high fructose corn syrup can directly increase the formation and growth of intestinal tumors in experimental mice. The experimental methods appear to be robust and describe some of the underlying mechanisms involved, including accelerated glycolysis.
Whether these findings are similar in humans, remains unknown.
High fructose corn syrup is not commonly used in Australia, where cane sugar is much more prevalent. But, high fructose corn syrup and cane sugar are both combinations of glucose and fructose, albeit that they have distinct structural differences. As such, we don’t know for sure whether these results will be the same for cane sugar, although given the experimental methods used in this study, it is very possible that they will be.
Nonetheless, high fructose corn syrup and cane sugar are both strongly linked with obesity, which itself is a strong risk factor for several cancers, including ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer and colorectal cancer. This means that irrespective of whether these sweeteners are having a direct effect on tumor development and growth, people wishing to reduce their likelihood of developing cancer should limit their intake of sugar sweetened drinks and foods that contain added sugar.
Replacing these products with wholegrains, vegetables, fruit and legumes, will help with maintaining a healthy weight, and lower the risk of developing cancer.
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