Dietary modification may stop liver cancer growth

The study reaches conclusions that provide new insights into tryptophan-free diet-based liver cancer therapies, and highlights the crucial role of indole-3-pyruvate (I3P) – a tryptophan metabolite – in the development of liver tumors.

The researchers showed that the growth of liver cancers, driven by the MYC oncogene, is particularly dependent on tryptophan, which is converted to I3P as well as other metabolites.

When the team removed tryptophan from the mice’s diet, the growth of MYC-driven liver tumors was halted, while normal gene expression was restored in liver cells. The researchers confirmed that this dietary intervention did not affect protein synthesis in normal cells, suggesting a targeted therapeutic approach that avoids healthy tissue.

“This work shows that personalized dietary modification may serve as a powerful adjuvant in cancer treatment,” said study leader Maralis Conachi-Sorrell.

While tryptophan is metabolized into several important compounds, including the neurotransmitter serotonin and kynurenine, the study showed that MYC-driven liver tumors preferentially use tryptophan to produce I3P rather than kynurenine. This shift highlights the potential for targeting specific metabolic pathways in cancer therapy.

These results suggest that targeting I3P or its production pathway may be a viable therapeutic strategy.

Foods rich in tryptophan include: turkey, red meat, chicken, tofu, milk, soybeans, quinoa, oats, and fish.

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Source: Medical Express