SELPLG and cancer: Since linoleic acid has been shown to have an anti-proliferative effect on SW480 cancer cells at higher concentrations [42.8 μg (ml medium)−1; 152.5 μM], and a slightly proliferative effect at a lower concentration [16.9 μg (ml medium)−1; 60.2 μM] (Miller et al., 2003), concentrations of t10, c12 CLA (microbially generated fatty acid samples) between 5 and 20 μg (ml medium)−1 [equivalent to 6.7–27 μg linoleic acid (ml medium)−1 in the same fatty acid sample] were chosen so as not to exceed the threshold concentration at which linoleic acid inhibits cell growth.