Exciting new research offers hope for pancreatic cancer patients. Learn how a ketogenic diet can help fight this deadly disease
Pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer, has long posed significant challenges to researchers and clinicians alike. However, a recent study by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has revealed a promising new approach to targeting pancreatic tumors.
The research, published in Medical Xpress on August 14, suggests that combining a ketogenic diet with specific cancer therapies may exploit a previously unknown vulnerability in pancreatic cancer cells.
Stay tuned to learn more.
The role of eIF4E in fasting and ketogenic diets
The breakthrough discovery began with an exploration of how the body adapts to fasting, a state in which the usual energy source, glucose, becomes scarce. During fasting, the body switches its metabolism to burn fat instead of glucose, a process facilitated by the liver's production of ketone bodies. These ketones serve as an alternative fuel for the body when glucose is not readily available.
The UCSF team, led by Dr. Davide Ruggero, focused on a protein called eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), which plays a crucial role in this metabolic switch. The researchers found that eIF4E becomes more active during fasting, helping the liver convert fats into ketone bodies. Interestingly, this same activation occurs when an animal is placed on a high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet, which mimics the metabolic state of fasting.
Haojun Yang, Ph.D., the study's first author explained that fasting has been part of various cultural and religious practices for centuries, often believed to promote health. Their finding that fasting remodels gene expression provides a potential biological explanation for these benefits.
This observation led the team to wonder if eIF4E's role in fat metabolism could be linked to cancer biology, particularly in pancreatic cancer cells that thrive on fats.
Exploiting pancreatic cancer's dependence on fat
Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to treat, partly because of its ability to adapt to different sources of fuel, such as glucose and fats. The UCSF researchers discovered that while blocking eIF4E with a cancer drug called eFT508 had some effect on slowing pancreatic tumor growth, the tumors continued to thrive by utilizing alternative energy sources like glucose.
However, when the team placed the animals on a ketogenic diet, which forces the body—and consequently, the tumors—to rely exclusively on fat, a remarkable change occurred. Under these conditions, eFT508 was able to cut off the cancer cells' sole source of fuel, leading to a significant reduction in tumor size.
Ruggero shared that their findings open a point of vulnerability that they can treat with a clinical inhibitor that they already know is safe in humans. They now have firm evidence of one way in which diet might be used alongside pre-existing cancer therapies to precisely eliminate a cancer.
This innovative approach targets the metabolic flexibility of cancer cells, exploiting their reliance on specific energy sources. By forcing pancreatic cancer cells into a metabolic corner where they can only burn fat, and then blocking that pathway with eFT508, the UCSF team has identified a new method to weaken these deadly tumors.
Implications for future cancer therapies
The discovery of this metabolic vulnerability in pancreatic cancer has far-reaching implications. Not only does it provide a new avenue for treatment, but it also highlights the potential of combining dietary interventions with traditional cancer therapies. This approach could pave the way for more personalized cancer treatments that consider the unique metabolic characteristics of different tumor types.
Ruggero also noted that the field has struggled to firmly link diet with cancer and cancer treatments. However, to connect these things productively, one needs to know the mechanism.
The findings suggest that different diet-drug combinations may be necessary to target other forms of cancer, each with its own metabolic quirks and vulnerabilities. This research could lead to a new generation of cancer therapies that integrate dietary strategies with pharmacological interventions, potentially improving outcomes for patients with various types of cancer.
"We expect most cancers to have other vulnerabilities," Ruggero said. "This is the foundation for a new way to treat cancer with diet and personalized therapies."
The study conducted by UCSF researchers has uncovered a promising new approach to treating pancreatic cancer by combining a ketogenic diet with targeted cancer therapy. By exploiting the cancer cells' dependence on fat metabolism, this method has shown potential in shrinking tumors and opening up new possibilities for personalized cancer treatments.
As research in this area continues, the hope is that these findings will lead to more effective and precise strategies for combating one of the most challenging forms of cancer. If you wish to stay updated on the latest news from Miami and beyond, sign up for our Calle Ocho News newsletter today.
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