Cancer on Collagen

Collagen is currently a bright star in the supplement world. 

Collagen is represented by 28 or more different forms of protein divided into 4 types that hold body structures like organs, bones, skin, and muscles together, plus to give them different shapes. Supplements of different collagen types are promoted to keep skin younger looking, grow thicker hair, build stronger bones, make joints flexible and pain free, and even influence cardiovascular health by maintaining artery elasticity. All activities that are linked to anti-ageing aspects. The majority of articles on collagen supplements also mention they are very safe without any known serious side effects.  Not as well known, collagen also participates in the differentiation process of turning stem cells into bone building or other vital cell types. These important activities of collagen truly make it one of the power players in health for the body.

The body builds lots of collagen proteins, but overtime, the building process slows down and less collagen is found in the body. Two noticeable areas to illustrate this include thinner and less elastic skin and a reduction in number and thickness of head hair. 

Collagen even gets mentioned for possible prevention of certain cancers. Yes, collagens are great health boosters when the body is healthy and the collagen matrix is strong. But like some other processes, structures, and nutrients, when errors and other mutations start to occur, the healthful benefits of collagen can get hijacked by cancers and the beneficial collagen functions can be turned against the body's immune system and end up not only protecting cancer cells, but also to help them grow and spread faster.

Collagen is readily involved in many cancer structures and processes. ref ref **

One such collagen activity involves a set of elements called DDR1 and DDR2. They operate in and around cells, especially in the extracellular matrix, ECM. The DDRs influence many cell functions like migration, adhesion, differentiation, invasion, and apoptosis (normal cell death process). ref* Before DDRs can function, they have to first bind to their ligand. Many types of COLLAGEN are the ligands for DDRs. Many collagen types bind with DDR1 but just certain collagen types appear to bind with DDR2. After binding with collagen, the DDRs are activated and ready to work. 

THIS BRINGS UP A QUESTION; HOW DO COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENTS INFLUENCE DDR PRODUCTION AND ACTIVITY?

OF INTEREST: Collagen supplements during digestion are broken down into smaller protein parts called amino acids. This is the same for all proteins, such as meats, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, etc. Thus, the benefit of collagen supplements is really as a protein source. It is still up to the body to build these amino acids back into the various collagen types. There are about 18 amino acids with half being essential. The body can build all amino acids if given the essential ones. Vitamin C, often low in diet, and the mineral silica, usually abundant in diet, direct the body when it builds collagens as well as other proteins. ref  ref

HOW ARE DDRs CONNECTED TO CANCER

DDRs are involved with many avenues of cancer cell activities; cell differentiation, migration, invasion, and evading apoptosis. This article from the NIH opens one can of worms. ref DDRs can be hijacked by cancer cells to protect their growth against immune cells attempting to destroy them. ref The DDRs use a process to align collagen fibers to form a barrier around the ECM where cancer cells are growing. Many types of cancers exhibit a higher amount of DDRs than the surrounding normal tissue.

This concept is still in beginning review process, but early signs are troubling. What makes a normal DDR function turn adverse when cancers are growing? Do collagen supplements increase DDR activity? There is a possibility that heat treated collagen supplements might not increase DDRs. 

A new avenue of potential breast cancer treatments is using an element to limit DDRs activity hoping to prevent cancer growth. It may be best to follow the precautionary principle and not consume collagen supplements until this issue is settled. Vitamin industry research has revealed that collagen supplements can increase collagen levels in the body.  

There are obviously many factors that are involved in determining whether DDR1 takes a positive or negative turn. One involves the Wnt 5a gene pathway. ref ref

This is where DDR2 also enters. It is involved with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Wnt5a attempts to limit breast cancer growth by down requlating EMT. There is a relationshop between Wnt5a and the DDRs that is important to keep breast tissues viable and limit cancer initiatin. 

This is where DDR2 also enters. It is involved with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Wnt 5a attempts to limit breast cancer growth by down regulating EMT. There is a relationship between Wnt 5a and the DDRs that is important to keep breast tissues viable and limit cancer initiation. Collagen appears to be involved not only as a ligand binding DDR promoter, but also in production of barriers that protect cancer cells from immune cells looking to destroy them.

When the Collagen / DDR (plus other balancing factors) systems are running in harmony, they are protective against cancer development.  But when mutants or flaws ever so slightly upset DDR balance and functions, cancer cells may be generated and promoted.

How supplemental collagen impacts this process has apparently not been explored yet. Or at least, it has not appeared in research publications. An ongoing approach is in place to find out. Return soon!

A new development: ref Collagen plays an anti-cancer role in pancreatic cancer. Obviously, there are other factors to consider which might influence collagen behavior.

* Copy from this reference: "When improperly regulated, DDR activation can lead to abnormal cellular proliferation activities such as in cancer. Hence how and when the DDRs associate with the major basis of mammalian tissue infrastructure, fibrillar collagen, should be of keen interest."

**Copy from this reference: "Cells and molecules in the tumor microenvironment have dual effects on cancer progression. The role of collagen is a double-edged sword in cancer. On the one hand, collagen, cancer cells, other cells, and other matrix molecules mutually form an inter-reinforcing loop. This loop contributes to the development of cancer by inducing cancer cells proliferation, migration, and metastasis. On the other hand, preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that collagen may slow the development of cancer cells to some extent under some conditions. In summary, the association of collagen with cancer is only partially understood, and future studies are needed to elucidate detailed collagen biological mechanisms in cancer tissue that can be applied to precisely regulate collagen balance to achieve the maximum benefit of treatment."

WRAP UP:  When the body is healthy, collagen systems prevent cancers. BUT, as the body begins to exhibit damage from unhealthy lifestyle and or dietary practices that overwhelm body defences, gene and cell mutations start to corrupt the collagen and related systems. When this damage is big enough, diseases manifest. And as cancer grows, the collagen system is turned against the immune system to protect and grow cancer cells.

HEALTH FACTOR DETERMINATION

What factors maintain a healthy body and keep collagen functioning in a protective role will also be presented in another article. The next few articles present interesting basics. article1  2  article article article article

Here is one way that diet might influence DDRs and impact collagen stuructures on cancer. This reference mentions that IGF-1, insulin growth factor-1, increases DDR activity. IGF-1 is the only element that is increased in milk produced from hormone (rBST) treated cows. DO not drink this milk. IGF-1 has a link with breast cancer and prostate cancers. ref The title of one of the past references is included next.

"IGF-I induces upregulation of DDR1 collagen receptor in breast cancer cells by suppressing..."

The United States is the only industrial Country that has not banned hormone produced milk. Here is what the US Government FDA says about the safety of hormone. While out of the US NIH National Library of Medicine comes this opposite study from IRAN. ref Which information is correct? Next is another article about the dangers of increased IGF-1. The rBST hormone given to cows more than doubles the content of IGF-1 in milk. Some IGF-1 in the body is necessary, but evidently too much gets involved with some impactful diseases.