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Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,811
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Collagen and Breast Cancer?

[ Edited ]

I ran across this and found it interesting

**QVC removed link so you might have to do your own Google search - Sorry!

 

I guess we all need to do our own research before taking supplements!!

 

 

According to Sara Musetti, scientist and co-founder of OncoBites, a cancer research outreach blog, cancer takes all the good things about collagen and turns them into a nightmare. Musetti tells us “Collagen is used to support and protect, so naturally tumors twist it to their advantage. Tumors are often full of fibroblasts, the major cell type responsible for producing collagen. These cells pump out huge amounts of collagen, swaddling little pockets of tumor cells, called tumor nests, in blankets of collagen that keep damaging agents away. These collagen-rich regions form a physical barrier around tumor cells that keep chemotherapeutics, immune cells, antibodies, and other therapies from reaching the cells to kill them. The particular shape and character of collagen in a tumor has even been linked to how easily the tumor grows and spreads.” [2]
 
I found that fascinating – this ability of collagen to hide tumor cells in protective pockets so that immune cells and chemo drugs can’t get to them.
 
A 2013 study [3] found that DDR2, a protein that sits on the surface of tumor cells and binds to collagen, activates a pathway that encourages the spread and invasiveness of tumor cells. Researchers stated that DDR2 might very well be a good therapeutic target for treating metastasized breast cancer.
 
A 2014 paper [4] in Tumour Biology stated “While collagen was traditionally regarded as a passive barrier to resist tumor cells, it is now evident that collagen is also actively involved in promoting tumor progression. Collagen changes in tumor microenvironment release biomechanical signals, which are sensed by both tumor cells and stromal cells, trigger a cascade of biological events. In this work, we discuss how collagen can be a double-edged sword in tumor progression, both inhibiting and promoting tumor progression at different stages of cancer development.”
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,138
Registered: ‎05-20-2011

Re: Collagen and Breast Cancer?

@SandGirl ...Thanks for posting this. It's good food for thought! 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 39,554
Registered: ‎08-23-2010

Re: Collagen and Breast Cancer?

 

I don't know if they'll ever find a true "cure" for cancer, but a reliable yearly blood test that can identify cancer somewhere in the body would be a great help ... for everyone.