VIDEO: Keto diet may improve CAR T-cell therapy antitumor function, early research shows
SAN DIEGO — A ketogenic diet may improve antitumor function through beta-hydroxybutyrate, according to early research presented in a plenary scientific session at the ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition.
Marco Ruella, MD, assistant professor of medicine at University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, and colleagues implanted diffuse large B-cell lymphoma tumors in immunocompetent mice and fed them either a ketogenic, high-fiber, high-fat, high protein, Western or control diet.
They found that mice who received the ketogenic diet had significantly higher levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and subsequently conducted multiple cancer models in mice.
Ruella told Healio that “in all these models, the ketogenic diet was improving the overall antitumor effect.”
The researchers then retrospectively assessed data from patients with lymphoma treated with anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CART19) and found that high levels of BHB correlated with better CART19 expansion.
“Now, of course, we’re very excited because we saw these results in the preclinical setting, in a retrospective fashion, in a prospective fashion in volunteers, and now we have a trial open at the University of Pennsylvania where we’re giving BHB to patients receiving commercial CART19,” Ruella said. “The trial is currently open, and we’re enrolling the first patients.”
Reference:
- Liu S, et al. Abstract 4. Presented at: ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition; Dec. 7-10, 2024; San Diego.
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