We can't pick our genes, but diet may help steer how they act. Biotechnology company Amino Up explores two studies on the potential for cancer prevention.
The research laboratory at Amino Up's headquarters in Sapporo (©Japan Forward/Mika Sugiura)
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You cannot choose the genetic information you inherit from your parents, but you may be able to influence which genes are switched on or off.
One area attracting attention in epigenetics, the study of this mechanism, is cancer prevention and early detection. In this article, we explore its potential.
Cancer Stem Cells
Our bodies have mechanisms that eliminate abnormal cells, including cancer cells, every day through the immune system and other defenses. However, some cancer cells possess the following abilities:
- Continue to reproduce themselves
- Survive even after treatment
- Cause cancer to recur or spread to other parts of the body (metastasis)
Cancer cells with these abilities are called cancer stem cells (CSCs). Researchers believe that reducing the number of these cells may help prevent cancer from recurring.
Can Diet Suppress Cancer Stem Cells?
Cancer stem cells release tiny particles called extracellular vesicles. These particles contain substances such as microRNAs (miRNAs), which are small RNA molecules that regulate gene activity. Extracellular vesicles essentially act as delivery packages, allowing cells to send messages to one another.
Researchers led by Dr. Chantal Matar at the University of Ottawa in Canada investigated whether dietary supplementation could suppress breast cancer stem cells, which are associated with cancer recurrence and drug resistance, a condition in which cancer treatments become less effective.
The researchers used AHCC, a supplement extracted from the mycelia of mushrooms (basidiomycetes), such as shiitake, after long-term cultivation. They investigated two things:
- Breast cancer stem cells themselves.
- The extracellular vesicles released by these breast cancer stem cells.
In breast cancer stem cells treated with AHCC, levels of miR-155, a microRNA that promotes cancer progression, decreased significantly. In contrast, levels of miRNAs associated with cancer suppression, including miR-34a, let-7a, and miR-200c, increased.
Another particularly noteworthy finding was that similar effects were observed in drug-resistant breast cancer cells, which are less responsive to anticancer drugs.
Changes in Cell-to-Cell Communication
The researchers also collected extracellular vesicles released by AHCC-treated breast cancer stem cells and introduced them to other breast cancer stem cells.
This suppressed the proliferation of breast cancer stem cells and reduced the number of spherical clusters they formed. Sphere formation is used as an indicator of stem cell properties.
The reduction in sphere formation in this experiment suggests that the breast cancer stem cells had a diminished capacity for self-renewal.
In addition, supplementation increased the overall number of extracellular vesicles. This suggests that AHCC may also have affected the production of these vesicles, which carry messages between cells.
The research suggests that dietary components or supplements may suppress the growth of cancer stem cells, regulate gene activity through epigenetic mechanisms, and shift the levels of small RNAs involved in cancer recurrence and drug resistance in a potentially beneficial direction.
The findings also suggest that food-derived substances may affect the extracellular vesicles released by cancer stem cells, potentially enabling these vesicles to carry messages that are more favorable to cancer suppression.
Can Diet Reduce Naturally Occurring Cancers?
Researchers led by Dr. Shigeki Adachi of Osaka University conducted an animal study to investigate whether dietary supplementation could reduce the spontaneous development of cancer.
They administered AHCC to mice over an extended period and examined two questions:
- Could supplementation extend a healthy lifespan?
- Could it reduce the incidence of naturally occurring cancers?
Adachi and his colleagues conducted an experiment involving 242 mice, raising them from five weeks of age until they reached 24 months.
A 24-month-old mouse is considered quite elderly. Observing mice over this period is roughly comparable to following them for nearly their entire lifetimes.
The researchers compared survival rates and cancer incidence between the groups. In the control group, which did not receive the supplement, approximately half of the mice developed cancer. In contrast, the incidence in the supplemented group was reduced to the 30% range.
The reductions were particularly notable for breast and liver cancer.
Breast cancer developed in more than 30% of the female mice in the control group, whereas the rate was reduced to around 3% in the group that received the supplement.
Similarly, approximately 30% of the control mice developed liver cancer, compared with a rate in the 10% range among mice that received the supplement.
Chronic Inflammation Associated With Aging
The precise mechanisms behind these results remain to be fully investigated. However, one possibility is that supplementation reduced chronic inflammation associated with aging and decreased the activity of genes involved in cancer development, such as Spp1 and Nr4a1.
This is an intriguing area of research because it raises the possibility that dietary components could influence the activity of genes associated with cancer development.
The studies described here were conducted using cultured cells (in vitro experiments) and mice. Further research is needed to determine whether the same effects occur in humans.
Nevertheless, the findings are highly interesting because they suggest that everyday dietary habits may help prevent cancer development through epigenetic mechanisms.
As research into the relationship between diet and epigenetics advances, there is growing interest in new possibilities for cancer prevention and extending healthy lifespan.
References
- Adachi, S., Tougan, T., Ryo, H., Takanari, J., Wakame, K., Aoshi, T., & Nomura, T. (2025). Continuous ingestion of a standardized extract of cultured Lentinula edodes mycelia suppresses spontaneous carcinogenesis in a murine model. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 48(5), 687-693.
- Sharifzad, F., Alsadi, N., Yasavoli-Sharahi, H., Shahbazi, R., Burger, D., & Matar, C. (2026). Treatment of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles with extract of cultured Lentinula edodes modulates breast cancer stem cells and microRNA reprogramming. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 48(4), Article 368.
About Amino Up
Amino Up is a biotechnology company based in Sapporo that researches and develops functional foods and agricultural materials, with products and operations in 47 countries worldwide.
The company also conducts joint research with more than 100 medical institutions and universities around the world.
Amino Up sponsors the International Congress on Nutrition and Integrative Medicine (ICNIM), held annually in Sapporo, and has focused on epigenetics as a key area of research in recent years.
This article is published in cooperation with Amino Up, a logo partner of Japan 2 Earth.
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Author: Amino Up
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