Science and technology daily, Beijing, February 17 (reporter Chen Dan) - can sports help fight cancer? Scientists at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark have confirmed for the first time that running can indeed help delay the growth of tumors in mice.
According to the website of new scientist on the 16th, the research team led by penny hoyman of the University of Copenhagen used mice with cancer to test the effect of exercise on five different cancers, including skin cancer, lung cancer and liver cancer. They asked the mice to run 4-7 kilometers every night. The results showed that the anti-cancer ability of the mouse immune system was improved, which not only prevented new tumors, but also slowed down the growth rate of original tumors by up to 60%.
This experiment proved for the first time that exercise can directly control the growth rate of tumors. The researchers found that exercise promotes the secretion of adrenaline, which in turn stimulates the immune system to release natural anti-cancer "killer cells" into the blood. During exercise, the muscles of mice produce a substance called interleukin-6, which can guide "killer cells" to attack tumors.
Lee Jones of memorial Sloan Caitlin cancer center in New York commented that scientists had known that exercise could affect the activity of natural "killer cells", but this is the first time that exercise can directly help these cells fight tumors through experiments, which is a puzzle that has been missing for a long time.
However, running did not shrink the tumors of the experimental mice, but only made them grow less quickly. This shows that the existing tumor can not be reversed by movement.
Hoiman said that for humans, there is some evidence that exercise after menopause can prevent recurrence of rectal cancer and breast cancer. Her team plans to follow up cancer patients next to investigate whether their exercise patterns can have a similar good effect on their condition.