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Dairy and beef CLA revealed as new warrior against cancer

Edmonton, Alta., August 16, 2006: One of the next great warriors against cancer may already be found in the refrigerator or on the backyard grill.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a "good fat" found naturally in dairy and beef products. Though relatively unknown a decade ago, pioneering studies based largely on animal models have shown considerable CLA promise for human health benefits related to a range of major diseases and conditions, with the greatest progress thus far related to cancer.

"For a food component, the potential CLA is showing to aid in the treatment and prevention of cancer is remarkable," says Dr. Catherine Field, a leading researcher on the effect of nutrition on the immune system and Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Alberta.

Field is one of many researchers aiming to identify and take advantage of CLA opportunities, as part of the CLA Network. Founded in Alberta in 2001, the CLA Network is a collaborative team from academia, industry and government, including representatives from many areas of expertise such as research, food industry, health and communications.

In a series of cell culture studies, CLA Network researchers have confirmed specific types of CLA can reduce the proliferation of cancerous cells.

"It was initially believed CLA would act in the same way as omega three fatty acids, derived from fish oil, which have shown significant anti-cancer promise," says Field. "However, the results of our studies and others point toward CLA as having quite different mechanisms and having efficacy at lower amounts in the diet."

The growing promise of CLA is something researchers would like to investigate further in animal trials before moving to human clinical trials. "If there is solid evidence in animal trials that feeding a fatty acid that is normally found in the diet could reduce tumor growth or improve the response to therapy, this would be an important breakthrough in cancer treatment," says Field.

CLA's cancer-fighting effect has held up in most of the major animal models of cancer that are used for testing drug efficacy. These include primarily models for breast cancer and the colorectal cancers, along with models for some forms of leukemia and liver cancer, including hepatoma.

"One of the most exciting things about CLA is its wide potential against many types of cancer, combined with its apparent relatively strong potency," says Field.

Among other key findings, early research indicates the major CLA isomers (types) known as CLA 9,11 and CLA 10,12 appear to act differently in relation to various forms of cancer. "This opens the door to fighting cancer with CLA through more than one pathway, or finding a nutrient that could target a specific form of cancer," says Field.

Another landmark finding is CLA appears to affect both the growth and death of cancer. This is of great significance to cancers such as breast cancer, which are characterized by mutated genes that stop cell death.

"Indications are CLA may act in the manner of some chemotherapy drugs by 'turning back on' the death process of cancer cells," says Field. "A naturally occurring food ingredient with this activity would be a remarkable tool for cancer treatment."

Pioneering CLA studies have also shown substantial health potential related to heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, bone density and obesity.

Further information on the effort to increase CLA levels, including further perspective from Okine, Glimm and Mir, is featured in a new article available on the Web, at www.CLAnetwork.com. Background information on the CLA Network and a range of other articles on CLA progress - with new items added regularly - are also available on the site.