The association between physical activity and lower rates of cancer may be explained, at least in part, by a newly identified biological mechanism. A proof-of-principle study showed that exercise-induced increases in serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) reduced cancer cell proliferation and limited DNA damage in men who have a lifestyle risk of colon cancer.
Investigators assessed the effects of stimulating a human colon cancer line (LoVo) with human serum obtained from 16 men before and immediately after a 30-minute moderate-intensity indoor cycling session and a non-exercise control condition. They found cancer cell proliferation and DNA damage were significantly reduced when LoVo cells were stimulated with the post-exercise serum compared with the control serum. The reduction in DNA damage and growth after exercise were associated with elevations in IL-6.
According to the authors, “These findings suggest that the systemic responses to acute aerobic exercise inhibit colon cancer proliferation in vitro, and this may be driven by IL-6-induced regulation of DNA damage and repair.”
Source: International Journal of Cancer, February 25, 2022.