Cancer treatment: Low-protein diet stops growth of malignant cells, study says

“A low-protein diet is not a stand-alone treatment. It must be combined with other treatments, such as chemotherapy,” said Sumeet Solanki, a researcher at the Rogel Cancer Center.

A risk of a low-protein diet is that cancer patients often experience muscle weakness and weight loss, which can be exacerbated by restricting protein.

Cancer cells need nutrients to live and grow. mTORC1 is one of the most important nutrient-sensing molecules in cells. It allows cells to sense different nutrients and consequently expand and proliferate. This is why it is often referred to as the master regulator of cell growth. When nutrients are deprived, cells reduce the activity of the nutrient-sensing cascade, suppressing mTORC1.

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The ability of cells to grow and proliferate in response to dietary cues is controlled by the regulator mTORC1. It is known to increase cancer resistance to conventional therapy and is very active in malignancies with certain mutations. A complex called GATOR, a low-protein diet, and more specifically a reduction in two essential amino acids altered nutritional signals.

“In colon cancer, when the nutrients available to the tumor decrease, the cells don’t know what to do. Without nutrients to grow, the cells are in a kind of crisis, leading to massive cell death,” said the senior author. Yatrik of said. Dr. M. Shah, Horace W. Professor of Physiology, Davenport Michigan Medical College.

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Inhibiting the cancer-causing signal of mTORC has been a major goal of previous attempts to inhibit it. However, when patients stop taking these inhibitors, the cancer returns due to serious side effects. This study suggests another strategy for inhibiting mTORC. It is the blocking of trophic pathways by restricting amino acids with a low-protein diet.

Researchers found that restricting amino acids increased cell death and prevented cancer from spreading to cells and animals. It has been demonstrated to be associated with increased chemoresistance, which has been confirmed by researchers, and Solanki argues that patients with this marker may be able to individualize treatment. increase.

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Long-term protein restriction is suboptimal for cancer patients. However, identifying critical times, such as the start of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, when a patient can remain on a low-protein diet for a week or two could increase the effectiveness of these treatments. .

(with ANI input)