COX/LOX Pathways and Cancer - a prelude to Boswellia

Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes & a nod to COVID19

Cancer is known to be triggered by and to be kept alive (mediated) by inflammation. 1, 2

What pathways are triggered that cause inflammation? Can these pathways lead to a progression of cancer including metastases? If so, how can we inhibit those pathways and start to fight back against the cancering process?

In this simplified diagram on the left, A-Linolenic acid gets converted into EPA - Eicosapentaenoic Acid and then EPA gets converted into DHA - Docosahexaenoic acid. DHA is the final version of Omega 3 that your body uses to control inflammation. It’s vital for your nervous system, and your brain is actually made of around 60% Omega 3 fatty acids.

Usually Omega 3 supplements contain EPA and DHA, ready made. Always look for triple distilled, pharmaceutical grade Omega 3 supplements and insist on the highest quality. Cheaper supplements can be rancid and oxidised as these oils are unstable and can also end up being pro-inflammatory if they are not from a trusted source. Quality really matters with Omega 3 supplements.

On the right you can see that Linoleic acid is converted into D Gamma Linoleic acid and that is converted into Arachidonic Acid (AA). These are generally pro-inflammatory pathways and Arachidonic Acid is used to drive the inflammation response.

We do have to be careful not to oversimplify and simply see Omega 3 as good and Omega 6 as bad, we do need both kinds. But most people have a vast overabundance of Omega 6 in their diet because it is so heavily present in modern processed foods, and most people have nowhere near enough Omega 3. For a deep dive into this subject read this article.

You can clearly see on the left of the diagram above that oily fish, grass fed meat and eggs will all provide you with some essential Omega 3 fatty acids. Sometimes professionals in the plant based world will tell you that you can take flax seeds to boost your Omega 3 but this is a bit misleading, even if it is well intentioned.

The problem with flaxseed is that research shows that the rate of conversion of the kind of Omega 3 in flax seeds is at less than 1% into the end product DHA that your body actually needs to combat inflammation. (Some studies have shown up to 9% conversion but it’s still pretty low). It’s an inefficient source of Omega 3.

There is some interesting evidence to show that people who eat a vegan diet slightly upregulate their conversion of ALA to DHA which means that the body adapts to make more of what it needs when under dietary stress.

If you aren’t eating clean sources of oily fish regularly, say 4x a week, then you should consider supplementation.

Photo by Aaron De Wit on Unsplash

COX Pathways

Of particular interest in cancer are the COX pathways. COX stands for cyclooxygenase and COX is an enzyme, or a group of them to be precise.

Enzymes are really just catalysts that turn one thing into another thing in the body. COX enzymes turns the end product of Omega 6 fatty acids called Arachidonic Acid into PRO inflammatory products with names like Prostaglandins or PG E2 and more.

Reference: www.lecturio.com/nursing

As you can see on the diagram there are many, very well known COX inhibitors called NSAIDS including Aspirin, Diclofenac and Ibuprofen. They do, of course reduce inflammation but this comes at a cost.

NSAIDS come with a decent list of side effects, which include gastric bleeding, stomach ulcers, stroke and high blood pressure. (no fun)

In a cancer setting COX pathways drive inflammation and with all the bread/grains, cheap fast food and vegetable/seed oils people eat daily, it’s not hard to see why chronic inflammation is a major health issue and cancer is a serious and fast growing problem.

Covid 19 & Inflammation

We need our inflammation pathways. Nothing in the human body is there by accident. We have evolved this important defence mechanism to protect us against invading pathogens that can damage or kill us.

Inflammation is a normal physiological response to danger.

Heat, swelling and a ‘cytokine storm’ ensue when we are invaded by a pathogen like a virus or unwanted bacteria. Our immune system creates a very hostile environment for the invader.

In the diagram below we can see how a NORMAL body responds to flu coronavirus.