Column

A study has shown that the metastases from several different types of cancers are derived from subpopulations of tumor cells which express the fatty acid receptor CD36 at their cell surface. The activation of this receptor by a saturated fat that is ubiquitous in modern diets (palmitate) stimulates the formation of these metastases, suggesting that an excess of saturated fats in the diet could play an important role in the evolution of cancer. Download the column