Have we discussed Olive Oil?

[Cathya]

Mediterranean diet, olive oil and cancer.

Colomer R, Menendez JA.

Medical Oncology, Institut Catala d'Oncologia, Hospital de Girona Dr. Josep Trueta, Girona, Spain. rcolomer@ico.scs.es

Olive oil is an integral ingredient of the "Mediterranean diet" and accumulating evidence suggests that it may have a potential role in lowering the risk of several types of cancers. The mechanisms by which the cancer-preventing effects of olive oil can be performed, however, are not known. We recently hypothesized that a novel molecular explanation concerning the anti-cancer actions of olive oil may relate to the ability of its monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) oleic acid (OA; 18:1n-9) to specifically regulate cancer-related oncogenes. Supporting our hypothesis, exogenous supplementation of cultured breast cancer cells with physiological concentrations of OA was found to suppress the overexpression of HER2 (Her-2/neu, erbB-2), a well-characterized oncogene playing a key role in the etiology, progression and response to chemotherapy and endocrine therapy in approximately 20% of breast carcinomas. OA treatment was also found to synergistically enhance the efficacy of trastuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody binding with high affinity to the ectodomain (ECD) of the Her2-coded p185(HER2) oncoprotein. Moreover, OA exposure significantly diminished the proteolytic cleavage of the ECD of HER2 and, consequently, its activation status, a crucial molecular event that determines both the aggressive behavior and the response to trastuzumab of Her2-overexpressing breast carcinomas. Our most recent findings further reveal that OA exposure may suppresses HER2 at the transcriptional level by up-regulating the expression of the Ets protein PEA3 -a DNA-binding protein that specifically blocks HER2 promoter activity- in breast, ovarian and stomach cancer cell lines. This anti-HER2 property of OA offers a previously unrecognized molecular mechanism by which olive oil may regulate the malignant behavior of cancer cells. From a clinical perspective, it could provide an effective means of influencing the outcome of Her-2/neu-overexpressing human carcinomas with poor prognosis. Indeed, OA-induced transcriptional repression of HER2 oncogene may represent a novel genomic explanation linking "Mediterranean diet", olive oil and cancer as it seems to equally operate in various types of Her-2/neu-related carcinomas.

PMID: 16632435 [PubMed - in process]

[R.B.]

Thanks very interesting post.

There is lots on olive oil on this site, but nothing I have seen linking it to HER.

There are links between fats and HER direct and indirect.

LIke most foods olive oil is a complex of lots of substances, and the possible impact of some these is covered in previous posts.

If the body is short of one fat it will use the next "best" available substitute which in those low in three and high in six or trans will be six or trans as that is all that is availabe.

It is possible by upping olive oil the body is using omega nine instead of sixes, which may help dmapen down inflamatory process.

Most of what I read is the the prime directive is to balance omega threes and sixes, with SMALL (teaspoons) amounts of other fats.

Olive is good (cold pressed virgin) becasue it is a fat that can be used for cooking IF required that is low in six, provides nines and has other useful chemicals that appear to mediate BC.

For me it is unsurprising that HER and or herceptin reaction action is moderated by fats. I have posted on several time as asking if one impact of Herceptin on FAS fatty acid sythasase could be blocking production of longer chain fats (Arachnidonic acid part of the inflamatory pathway) but also adding to the problems by blocking produstion of other long chain fats eg DHA. DHA shortages produce - fatigue, joint problems, brain issues, eyesight etc. It is no more than an uneducated guess as I have no been able to find the bits that would link possible bits of the jigsaw.

If fish were represented by a marketing organisation for a huge industry I suspect we would see similar trials for fish fish oil etc.

Adding to ones DHA consumption (fish oil) and reducing omega six for me is a wothwhile risk reduction category worthy of consideration (which includes usage of small quanities (teaspoons not mugs) of quality olive oil for salads etc).

Thank you for posting that - more to look up.


RB

[jeff]

http://health.dailynewscentral.com/content/view/284/63

Check this out for an overview of the work by Ruth Lupu and Javier Menendez on olive oil and her2. Good stuff.

Jeff

[RhondaH]

I drink a TBS of olive oil each day AND use it in everything I cook.

Rhonda

[Ann]

Hi,

I also use olive oil whenever possible. However, I have read that not all olive oils are equal. One needs to use only extra virgin olive oil because of the way it is processed.

If you substitute olive oil in baked goods, the amount of olive oil is 75% of the total fat you are substituting for.

Ann

[Christine MH-UK]

Menendez seems to have a research project going on this topic. The general upshot of it seems to be that, at least based on two her2 breast cancer cell lines, omega nines seem to be the best oils for lowering herceptin resistance, but omega 3s are also of some benefit. He does indicate at one point in passing that omega sixes have undesirable effects, but he doesn't make much of it. He has also done some work indicating that, at least at the cell level, omega 9s and omega 3s are beneficial in reducing chemo resistance to certain drugs, including taxotere and navelbine.

I did some calculations based on some of his work and it seemed like olive oil was the most beneficial oil, followed by flaxseed oil. The benefit/harmfulness of canola wasn't clear. Alot of common oils, such as corn oil and sunflower oil, were definitely harmful, if they have the same effect on her2 cancers in humans as they have in cells.

Does this work in people? Who knows. There was a study of women on the Canary Islands that indicated that the women who used olive oil had half the breast cancer of those who didn't, so a benefit is possible. I did, however, once post the question of whether anyone had noticed any dramatic effects from switching oils and nobody had, so there is perhaps room for skepticism.

At any rate, using olive oil isn't a great hardship and so I figure it is worth a try.

[al from Canada]

Here's another article

Al

Researchers Demonstrate That Oleic Acid in Olive Oil Protects Against Breast Cancer

< Previous Page

Study paves the way for evaluation of oleic acid as a breast cancer treatment

1/11/2005 - Oleic acid, the main monounsaturated fatty acid contained in olive oil, can cripple a cancer gene that is responsible for 25-30% of all breast cancers, according to researchers reporting in today’s Annals of Oncology.

“These results lead us to an exciting path of inquiry about diet and breast cancer treatment and prevention,” says Dr. Ruth Lupu, Director of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare’s Breast Cancer Translational Research Program, who co-authored the study with Dr. Javier Menendez, research assistant professor at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Research Institute and Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and Dr. Ramon Colomer, head of the Medical Oncology Division at Institut Catala d’Oncologia in Girona, Spain.

“We observed that oleic acid not only suppressed the levels of the oncogene Her-2/neu but it also improved the efficiency of the drug Herceptin™ (trastuzumab) that is already being used for the treatment of many women with breast cancer,” says Dr. Lupu.

In a series of lab experiments on breast cancer cell lines the expression of the breast cancer gene Her-2/neu was cut by more than 46 percent when treated with oleic acid. Dr. Lupu and her colleagues found that oleic acid not only suppressed the action of the oncogene, it also improved the effectiveness of the breast cancer drug Herceptin -- a targeted therapy that works against the HER-2/neu gene.

Breast cancer patients with HER-2/neu positive tumors suffer from an aggressive form of the disease and have a poor prognosis.

The study authors explain that the “power boost” that oleic acid provides to Herceptin is caused by DNA fragmentation, which promotes the death of cells that have amplified levels of Her-2/neu.

“This study helps us understand how dietary fatty acids can regulate the growth and spread of breast cancer cells. It suggests to us that a diet rich in oleic acid, such as the Mediterranean diet, may delay or prevent Herceptin resistance in breast cancer patients who are Her-2/neu positive,” the authors explain.

“Finding answers in the lab that can potentially improve clinical practice is the nature of translational research,” says Leo Selker, PhD, President of the ENH Research Institute. “We are already looking at future studies to build upon the findings from this important study,” he adds.

Having a Breast Cancer Translational Research Program in place provides patients with an added dimension of care, notes Janardan Khandekar, MD, Chairman, Department of Medicine, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare. “New answers from research translate to better care for our patients,” he says.

[R.B.]

Christine

There was also a trial by Lupu and Menendez revealing a bidirectional connection between HER2 and FAS.

I have seen another trial linking Her2 and FAS.

I have also from memory (I cant find it at the moment) seen suggestions HER 2 is down mediated by Omega three. (There are several general BC studies suggestion down mediation by n3 and Derivatives DHA etc)

Her overexpression stimulates Fas promoter and mediates endogenous fatty synthesys.

Fas blockade sensitises to Herceptin.

Hence my questions as to whether Herceptin mediates Fas and thereby reduces long chain synthesis - my concern is DHA production with the potential impact that would have in diets which are already deficient.

If Herceptin were to work in part by stopping AA production, and AA is in part a factor in BC - what would be the impact of regional production in the brain of AA etc if herceptin does not cross into the brain?

From my reading I still would on the odds rank omega three above nine in criticality in the process.

Much to think about.

RB