The new “treatment” method of treating cancer by removing amino acids from meat, fish and eggs from the patient’s diet is discovered in the study in mice
- Serine is a protein element that cancer cells need in extra amounts
- Lowering amino acid levels thus has the potential to inhibit tumor growth
- Many cancer cells, however, are able to produce their own serine instead
- Experts in the UK propose a dual approach, using a drug to stop the production of serine
- In a model of intestinal cancer mice, their diet-drug combination slowed tumor growth
- However, they said, more research is needed before use in human patients
A diet low in serine, an amino acid in meat, fish and eggs – taken in tandem with drugs to stop production – may offer a new approach to cancer treatment.
As they grow more aggressive, cancer cells are more dependent on serine – a protein building block – than their healthy counterparts, suggesting a potential weakness.
Previous studies in mice and human cells have shown that lowering serum levels can slow tumor growth – but many cancer cells are able to make their own.
In fact, the “KRAS mutation” that allows tumors to produce serine is found in 30 percent of all patients and is common in untreated intestinal and pancreatic cancers.
However, researchers in the UK have shown that in mice containing a human bowel cancer cell transplant, tumor growth is slowed by low-serine diets and PH755.
They reported that, encouragingly, PH755 has induced few side effects in animals – and the two-way approach can act against a variety of cancers.
However, further work on human cells and safety testing will be needed before this approach to treatment can be recommended for cancer patients.
A diet low in serine, an amino acid in meat, fish and eggs (pictured) – taken in tandem with drugs to stop production – may offer a new approach to cancer treatment
Before testing the dual approach to mouse models, the team saw promising results in both laboratory cell cultures and so-called organoids – 3D tumor models that are designed to mimic the complexity of real organs.
“The idea of being able to develop dietary interventions, based on understanding the mechanisms behind how nutrient changes affect tumors, has the potential to unlock a powerful way to treat cancer,” said cancer biologist Karen Vousden.
“In the future, this could provide a basis for developing a precision medical approach to diet as a cancer therapy, as we do with targeted drugs,” added the lead researcher at Cancer Research UK.
Personalizing each individual’s diet to meet the nutritional requirements of the cancer could, along with other therapies, give people the best opportunity to respond to treatment.
“While it’s encouraging to see the potential to target cancer’s nutritional requirements to help treat the disease, it’s important to remember that this is early research in mice and cells,” said Martin Ledwick, Cancer Research’s chief information officer. UK.
“People with cancer should not change their diet in light of this,” he warned.
“We need to see if this work translates into human cancer before testing to see if dietary changes are helpful.”
“Understanding the fundamental biology of cancer through studies like this is vital to revealing the true complexity of the disease and can shed light on new treatment pathways,” said Michelle Mitchell, Executive Director of Cancer Research UK.
This research has given us a tempting look at how we can turn the cancer-dependent diet against it, and look forward to seeing if the approach works in humans.
The full results of the study were published in the journal Nature Communications.