The sedentary life increases the associated tumor risk inflammation and worsens it immune system.
Instead, Regular exercise reduces the risk of developing cancer and helps rejuvenate the immune systemaccording to a new scientific study. It was published in the magazine Cell Reports Medicine.
Research shows that the immune system suffers over time and lack of exercise Immunosenescencethat is, the progressive loss of effectiveness of immune cells.
The study was led by Yi Jin, Zhiyu Yang and Zishuai Li with colleagues from Shanghai Second Military Medical University, Biological Defense Key Laboratory and Jinan University, China.
This immunosenescence promotes chronic inflammation and the development of cancer as old cells become less efficient at defending against threats.
Scientists wondered whether daily exercise could curb immunosenescence and reduce inflammation. They also wondered whether daily physical activity could be a barrier to certain oncological diseases.
The scientists analyzed the circuit that links persistent inflammation with the deterioration of the immune system. They hypothesized that interrupting this chain through daily exercise reduces the risk of tumors.
The researchers examined the role of T and NK lymphocytes (in English they are known as “natural killers”), which are cells that are central to detecting and destroying threats, including harmful cells.
One of the objectives was to check whether daily exercise alone could revitalize immunity and limit the appearance of tumors of inflammatory origin.
The team analyzed population databases from United Kingdom And USAas well as controlled experiments on mice and hamsters. They examined blood, immune organs and aerobic routines.
The results suggest that active people have lower rates of cancer related to inflammation and lower mortality.
“Exercise reduces the risk of inflammation-related cancers and tumor mortality,” the researchers write.
In mice and hamsters, exercise training increased the concentration of B lymphocytes, T cells and NK cells in the bone marrow and lymphoid organs. This strengthened the immune system’s response.
The study states: “Exercise training reduces the expression of genes related to immune senescence, Mki67+ immune cells and pro-inflammatory molecules, and increases anti-inflammatory factors, Flt3+ immune cells, natural killer and T lymphocytes in mice and hamsters, especially in older animals.”
The beneficial effects of exercise appear shortly after exercise, but wear off over time in both animals and humans.
The scientists also pointed out that the Mki67 protein appears to be a biomarker linked to senescence in immune cells. In laboratories, it could be useful to measure the aging of the immune system.
The study showed that regular physical activity is associated with a significant reduction in inflammation-related tumors and cancer mortality in humans.
Regarding the quantitative data: “More than 20% of inflammation-related cancers and between 26% and 34% of cancer deaths can be prevented by adequate physical activity, which generally exceeds the effectiveness of current targeted therapies and immunotherapies, suggesting that physical activity is cost-effective for cancer prevention and control,” they explained.
The team of scientists emphasized the importance of regularly integrating exercise into your routine to reduce inflammation-related tumors.
They acknowledged limitations to their work, such as molecular analyzes in small groups and the exclusive use of male animals. They also mentioned that what happens if the tumor is already present still needs to be studied.
However, they emphasized that the study’s findings are “extremely important for reducing the burden of cancer in the population in the era of the sedentary behavior epidemic.”
There is evidence that daily exercise can promote a younger and more efficient immune system and has the potential to prevent many inflammation- and age-related cancers.
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