Heart's Rhythmic Beat May Suppress Cancer Growth, Mouse Study Finds

A recent study published on April 23 in the journal Science indicates that the mechanical forces generated by a beating heart create an unfavorable environment for cancer cells. Led by Serena Zacchigna, researchers from the University of Trieste in Italy conducted experiments on mice with altered hearts, revealing that cancer cell proliferation was markedly lower in native beating hearts compared to transplanted hearts with reduced mechanical stress. This finding was further validated using engineered cardiac tissues derived from rat cells, where cancer cells thrived in non-beating tissues. The research identified Nesprin-2, a protein enhanced by mechanical stress that epigenetically alters DNA to inhibit tumor growth. When Nesprin-2 was deactivated, cancer cells proliferated in beating hearts. The team is exploring whether similar mechanical forces can be harnessed in other body areas, such as skin and breast, to deter tumor development. They are also examining if conditions like hypertension could offer cancer protection. The American Cancer Society notes that soft tissue cancers, including those of the heart, constitute less than 1 percent of all cancer cases, with heart tumors appearing in under 1 percent of autopsies. Cardiologist Michael Fradley from Penn Medicine described the study as intriguing for suggesting a possible mechanism, while Javid Moslehi from UCSF highlighted the significant connection between mechanical load and epigenetic control.