Approved Research

Interaction between genetic variants and dietary lipid intake on cancer outcomes

Lay summary

Cancer has become a great public health burden worldwide. Many evidences indicate that unhealthy diet can increase the risk of developing cancer and influence the cancer prognosis. However, the effect of unhealthy diet presents large individual difference, which might be contributed to different genetic background in different individuals. With emerging evidence connected lipid metabolism to cancer progression and the results are inconclusive, here we propose a study to identify dietary factors that might interact with genetic variation to affect lipid metabolism and cancer outcomes using UK Biobank cohort.

The study will provide novel data with respect to how genetic polymorphisms (lipid metabolism related genes, cancer susceptibility genes) could modify the relationship between dietary lipid intake and cancer outcomes (specifically lung cancer). By evaluating dietary behavior and common cancer outcomes, the study will provide new evidence to design individualized nutrition strategy to prevent cancer and to improve cancer prognosis. It is possible that the findings in diet-genotype interaction would have a profound impact on the formulation of dietary recommendations and cancer preventive strategies. In addition, the findings could also provide clues to identify high risk population who are susceptible to specific cancer and prevent cancer by modifying their dietary behavior.

The data analysis and publication of the findings will be completed within 36 months.

Scope extension, May 2024:

In this study, we want to comprehensively explore the relationship between dietary lipid intake and cancer risk/prognosis (specifically lung cancer), and examine whether genetic polymorphisms (lipid metabolism related genes, cancer susceptibility genes) modify the relationship between dietary lipid intake and cancer outcomes using UK Biobank cohort. The study will provide novel data with respect to how dietary lipid intake could modify individuals' genetic background to affect their cancer risk, and provide new evidence to design individualized nutrition strategy to improve cancer prognosis. 

We will extend our scope to study the relationship between the diet, genetic variants and the diseases which could possibly increase the risk of cancer development, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Additionally, we will further study the interaction between diet and many factors including air pollution, sleep, mental health disorders, genetic variants on the risk of these diseases.