High-fructose corn syrup enhances intestinal tumor growth in mice.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Preclinical animal model study (APC mutant mice).
PubMed 30898933 · doi:10.1126/science.aat8515
What was done
Investigated the effects of daily oral administration of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) on intestinal tumorigenesis and tumor metabolism in adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) mutant mice predisposed to intestinal tumors.
What was found
The abstract reports no exact numerical values. HFCS-treated mice exhibited a substantial increase in intestinal tumor size and tumor grade in the absence of obesity or metabolic syndrome. HFCS increased luminal fructose and serum glucose, with tumors transporting both sugars. In tumors, fructose was converted to fructose-1-phosphate, stimulating glycolysis and accelerating fatty acid synthesis.
Why it matters
Provides a direct mechanistic link showing that dietary fructose and glucose can fuel intestinal tumor proliferation independently of systemic obesity or metabolic syndrome.
Limits
The study was conducted entirely in a specific mouse model (APC mutants) and may not directly translate to human physiology. The abstract provides no sample sizes, specific HFCS doses, treatment durations, or quantitative effect sizes.
Cited by
- partial Research by Lewis Cantley and others indicates that cancer cells prefer fructose over other fuels, specifically in liver cancer and colon cancer.