Mind & Matter
Whether food, drugs or ideas, what you consume influences who you become. Learn directly from the best scientists & thinkers alive today about how your mind-body reacts to what you feed it.
The weekly M&M podcast features conversations with the most interesting scientists, thinkers, and technology entrepreneurs alive today.
Not medical advice.
At M&M, we are interested in trying to figure out how things work, not affirming our existing beliefs. We prefer consulting primary rather than secondary sources and independent rather than institutional voices. If we encounter uncomfortable truths or the evidence suggests unfashionable ideas may be valid, so be it.
As the host, my aim is to help you better understand how the body & mind work by curating & synthesizing information in a way that yields science-based insights that you can choose to use or disregard in your own life. Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
I am motivated to connect the dots and distill general principles from what I learn, preferring to ask questions and play devil’s advocate to debating or incessantly pushing my own viewpoint.
My beliefs:
- Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
- All knowledge is provisional and we must work hard to prevent ourselves from becoming attached to our favorite ideas & preferred conclusions.
- Wisdom comes from an iterative, trial-and-error process of learning and unlearning. Letting go of pre-conceived notions can be painful, but pain is information.
Sometimes modern discoveries teach us we must unlearn received wisdom. Other times, modern information overload & historical chauvinism cause us to forget ancient wisdom which stills applies. The framework for learning that I embody is inspired by three Ancient Greek maxims inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi:
- “Γνῶθι σεαυτόν” (Know thyself)
- “Μηδὲν ἄγαν” (Nothing in excess)
- “Ἐγγύα πάρα δ Ἄτα” (Certainty brings insanity)
Mind & Matter
Can Aspirin Prevent Cancer Metastasis? | Rahul Roychoudhuri | 216
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Short Summary: The science of cancer and immunity with Dr. Roychoudhuri, blending cutting-edge research with everyday implications like aspirin’s role in fighting tumor metastasis.
About the guest: Rahul Roychoudhuri, PhD is a Professor of Cancer Immunology at the University of Cambridge. His research bridges basic science and clinical applications, focusing on immune responses to cancer development and spread.
Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack and everyone on YouTube. Partial versions are available elsewhere. Full transcript and other information on Substack.
Episode Summary: The immune system’s role in detecting and fighting cancer, particularly how cancer cells evade immunity through selection pressures and microenvironment manipulation. They explore cancer initiation via mutations and inflammation, metastasis mechanics, and a surprising link between low-dose aspirin and reduced cancer spread, spotlighting new research on T cells and thromboxane. The discussion ties in dietary fats, aspirin’s anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting effects, and the potential for new therapies to prevent metastasis.
Key Takeaways:
- The immune system constantly surveils and eliminates early cancer cells, but surviving cancers evolve to dodge detection.
- Inflammation can both spark cancer growth and be exploited by tumors to suppress helpful immune responses.
- Cancer metastasis, responsible for ~90% of cancer deaths, involves cells breaking off, traveling, and adapting to new sites.
- New research shows aspirin may curb metastasis by lowering thromboxane, a lipid-derived blood clotting factor.
- Human data hints aspirin reduces metastasis risk in cancers like breast and colorectal, but trials are ongoing.
- Daily low-dose aspirin (75-100 mg) is used for heart health, yet its cancer benefits need more study. 600 mg per day has been observed to reduce metastasis rates in colon cancer patients, but chronic use of that dose carries some risk (ulcers, bleeding).
*Not medical advice.
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