NUTRIGENOMICS CANCER

LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

The prolonged exposition to carcinogenic factors when associated to genetic inheritance of the individual may lead to DNA alterations capable of triggering the activation of proto-oncogenes and/or the inhibition of tumor supressor genes. The search for comprehension on how nutrients interact to the maintenance of health through gene expression modification has arouse the interest of health professional. This research demonstrates through an extensive literature review of articles indexed in the last fifteen years in the databases SciELO, Med Line and Lilacs, scientific advances in the field of nutrigenomics applied to the promotion or prevention of cancer, highlighting the way in which, certain nutrients act by inhibiting or stimulating the expression of proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. The elucidation of the mechanisms of expression and modulation promoted by nutrients in genes allow the development of personalized and individualized diets, able to act as adjuvants in the prevention and treatment of tumors.