An environment that has physical, mental and social stimulation causing mild stress can inhibit the growth of cancer, claims a new study.

The researchers discovered that an enriched environment activates a nervous-system pathway by which the brain talks to fat tissue.
That pathway, called the hypothalamic-sympathoneural-adipocyte (HSA) axis tells fat cells to stop releasing a hormone called leptin into the bloodstream.
Leptin normally helps restrain appetite, but this study discovered that it also accelerates cancer growth.
The enriched environment had the same cancer-curbing influence in models of melanoma and colon cancer.
"People tend to think that cancer survivors should avoid stress, but our data suggests that this is not completely true," says research leader Dr. Matthew J. During, professor of neuroscience, of neurological surgery and of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics.
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"But the most dramatic hormonal change we observed was the drop in leptin from fat after richer housing conditions activated the HSA pathway. That pathway is also present in humans, where it is likely to be activated by a more complex and challenging life," he adds.
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Source-ANI