A recent study by the University of Pennsylvania suggests that a relatively inexpensive supplement could significantly enhance cancer treatment. The researchers analysed various diets and their components to determine how they could boost CAR T cell function, which plays a crucial role in treating certain types of blood cancer.
In essence, therapies that use CAR T cells hope to reprogram the body's T cells to attack and destroy cancer cells, but this approach is not always successful. Now, the US-based team have found that adopting a ketogenic diet or taking a supplement could potentially improve its effectiveness.
Such pills are usually 'marketed as being able to put you into a state of ketosis', according to Huel, which is when the body uses fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. There are numerous variations of these pills, including one type available on Holland Barrett for £17.24 for 120 pills - about 14p each.
Blood sample in a laboratory
CAR-T cells play a pivotal role in certain blood cancer therapies (Image: Getty Images)
Despite its associations with strict weight loss regimes, WebMD has previously warned of possible health risks linked to this approach. Co-lead author, Shan Liu, PhD, explained: "Thousands of patients with blood cancers have been successfully treated with CAR T cell therapy, but it still doesn’t work for everyone. We took an outside-the-box approach to improve CAR T cell therapy, by targeting T cells through diet rather than further genetic engineering."
In their study, the team examined the impact of various diets, such as ketogenic, high-fibre, high-fat, high cholesterol and a control diet, on mice. The findings showed 'improved tumour control and survival in the mice receiving a ketogenic diet compared to all other diets', reports Gloucestershire Live.
A metabolite known as 'beta-hydroxybutyrate' (BHB), produced by the liver when following a ketogenic diet, was identified as a significant factor behind this. Research specialist and co-leader Puneeth Guruprasad, PhD, explained: "Our theory is that CAR T cells prefer BHB as a fuel source rather than standard sugars in our body, such as glucose.
Keto-related foods and produce
Keto pills are often taken as part of highly restrictive weight loss diets (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
"So, increasing the levels of BHB in the body gives the CAR T cells more power to take out the cancer cells." Following their discoveries, the researchers have initiated a Phase I clinical trial at Abramson Cancer Centre associated with the university.
Assistant professor of Microbiology, Mayan Levy, added: "We’re talking about an intervention that is relatively cheap and has low toxicity potential. If the clinical trial data pans out, I’m excited to think about how a fairly simple approach like this could be combined with dietary interventions or other, more traditional approaches, to enhance the anti-cancer effect."