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Cancer-Fighting Protein Levels in Blood Boosted by Exercise

June 27, 2022

July 2022

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.

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