Fueling the Fight: Could a Ketogenic Diet Boost Cancer Immunotherapy?
Could a change in diet be the key to unlocking even greater power in a groundbreaking cancer treatment? Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are exploring this possibility by studying the impact of a ketogenic diet on CAR T cell therapy.
CAR T cell therapy, a personalized treatment that reprograms a patient’s own immune cells to target and destroy cancer cells, has shown promise for treating blood cancers. This exciting research is now entering a new phase, investigating whether a ketogenic diet can amplify its effectiveness against lymphoma.
“Thousands of patients with blood cancers have been successfully treated with CAR T cell therapy,” said Dr. Shan Liu, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. "But we wanted to explore ways to improve the treatment even further.
Our approach focuses on targeting T cells through diet rather than further genetic engineering."
The research has already yielded encouraging results in laboratory models. The Penn team found that mice receiving a ketogenic diet showed improved tumor control and survival rates compared to those on other diets. This success stemmed partly from elevated levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) – a metabolite produced by the liver during ketosis, a metabolic state induced by the ketogenic diet.
This is fascinating because BHB, according to research, acts as preferred fuel for CAR T cells. "We theorize that by increasing BHB levels, we might be providing CAR T cells with an extra boost to attack cancerous tumors," explained Dr. Puneeth Guruprasad, who co-led the study with Dr. Liu.
The next steps for the study involved testing the impact of BHB in human patients.
Encouragingly, analysis of blood samples from patients who had undergone CAR T cell therapy revealed a correlation between higher BHB levels and improved CAR T cell expansion. Further studies confirmed that healthy individuals taking a BHB supplement showed similar changes in how their T cells utilized energy, solidifying the link between BHB and immune response.
These findings have propelled the research into clinical trials.
“We’re talking about an intervention that is relatively cheap and has low toxicity potential,” Dr. Maayan Levy enthusiastically explained. “This opens doors for combining dietary interventions with standard treatments to enhance the body’s natural defenses against cancer.”
A Phase I clinical trial led by Dr. Elise Chong, assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania is currently underway.
“This represents a really exciting step forward. To see this research move from the lab bench to clinical trials is incredibly encouraging for both doctors and patients,” emphasized Dr. Marco Ruella,"Researchers are cautiously optimistic.
While the results of this innovative combination approach are still being investigated, it highlights the potential power of dietary interventions in the evolving landscape of cancer treatment. It may not be long before a simple dietary change joins the ranks of powerful tools in our fight against cancer.
Is there scientific evidence that a ketogenic diet can improve the effectiveness of CAR T-cell therapy?
## Fueling the Fight: Could a Ketogenic Diet Boost Cancer Immunotherapy?
**Host:** Welcome back to the show. Today we’re delving into fascinating new research that could revolutionize cancer treatment. Joining us is Dr. Shan Liu, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, who is leading a team exploring the link between diet and the effectiveness of CAR T cell therapy. Dr. Liu, thanks for being here.
**Dr. Liu:** Thank you for having me.
**Host:** For our viewers who may be unfamiliar, can you explain what CAR T cell therapy is and how it works?
**Dr. Liu:** Certainly. CAR T cell therapy is a remarkable type of personalized immunotherapy. We take a patient’s own immune cells, specifically their T cells, and reprogram them in the lab to recognize and target cancer cells. These modified T cells are then infused back into the patient, where they act like guided missiles, seeking out and destroying the cancerous cells. [[1](https://ashpublications.org/blood/article/144/Supplement%201/4/530745/Ketogenic-Diet-Enhances-CAR-T-Cell-Antitumor)]
**Host:** It sounds incredibly promising. You’re investigating whether a ketogenic diet can enhance the effectiveness of this treatment. Can you tell us more about that?
**Dr. Liu:** We were interested in exploring ways to boost CAR T cell function beyond genetic engineering. Our research focused on the impact of diet because we know diet-derived metabolites can significantly influence how immune cells behave.
**Host:** So, how does a ketogenic diet fit into this?
**Dr. Liu:** A ketogenic diet is high in fat and very low in carbohydrates, causing the body to enter a metabolic state called ketosis. During ketosis, the liver produces a molecule called beta-hydroxybutyrate, or BHB.
**Host:** And what does BHB have to do with CAR T cell therapy?
**Dr. Liu:** Our research found that BHB acts as a preferred fuel source for CAR T cells. [[1](https://ashpublications.org/blood/article/144/Supplement%201/4/530745/Ketogenic-Diet-Enhances-CAR-T-Cell-Antitumor)]In our laboratory studies using mice models, those on a ketogenic diet showed improved tumor control and survival rates compared to mice on other diets. We believe this is partly because the BHB boosted the energy and function of the CAR T cells.
**Host:** This is truly groundbreaking research. What are the next steps?
**Dr. Liu:** We are excited to continue this research and translate our findings into clinical trials. We hope to eventually determine if a ketogenic diet can safely and effectively enhance CAR T cell therapy for patients with lymphoma and other blood cancers.
**Host:** Fascinating! Dr. Liu, thank you so much for sharing your insights with us today. This research holds enormous potential for the future of cancer treatment.
**Dr. Liu:** Thank you for having me.
