Chiwei Xu

Jul 16, 2024 | cell.com | Nicole Leung |Chiwei Xu |Anindya Ganguly |Geoff T. Meyerhof

In this work, Leung et al. demonstrate that fruit flies with gut tumors display an increased propensity to consume the normally aversive anti-tumorigenic compound aristolochic acid. The change in taste valence for aristolochic acid may be a form of self-medication as feeding on aristolochic acid suppressed the gut tumors.

May 31, 2024 | cell.com | Nicole Leung |Chiwei Xu |Anindya Ganguly

Highlights•Gut tumors cause flies to increase their ingestion of anti-tumorigenic compounds•Gut tumors do not affect avoidance of aversive compounds devoid of anti-tumor effects•Increased consumption of anti-tumorigenic compounds suppresses gut tumors•Shift in taste valence due to tumors occurs via a mechanism postsynaptic to taste neuronsSummaryThe sense of taste is essential for survival, as it allows animals to distinguish between foods that are nutritious from those that are toxic.