Scientists from Japan have revealed the molecular mechanism that allows coffee acid to inhibit the growth of colorectal cancer cells. This is reported by Scientific Reports.
A link between coffee consumption and a reduced risk of colon cancer has been previously confirmed; however, the exact biological processes remained unclear. The team focused on studying individual components of the beverage. Researchers paid special attention to coffee acid — a substance that is formed in the intestine during the processing of polyphenols, including chlorogenic acid.
During experiments, it was found that coffee acid prevents the formation of tumor cell colonies by interacting with the RPS5 protein. Suppression of this protein's activity leads to the halt of the cell cycle at the stage of preparation for DNA replication and also reduces the level of cyclin D1 — an important regulator of cell division. Additionally, it was established that RPS5 influences the synthesis of cyclin D1 at the post-transcriptional level, while coffee acid blocks this process, slowing down tumor growth.
The authors noted that the obtained data are based on laboratory studies of cells and do not confirm a direct protective effect of coffee against colon cancer. They also emphasized that excessive consumption of the beverage is not recommended, despite the possible positive properties of its individual components.
