An early-stage study suggests that combining a ketogenic diet with a novel cancer drug may potentially “starve” pancreatic cancer cells, revealing a new vulnerability in one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Researchers from UC San Francisco conducted the study, which highlights a possible new treatment avenue for pancreatic cancer, where only about 5% of patients survive beyond a decade after diagnosis.
The study, published in Nature, explores how pancreatic cancer cells can be targeted by leveraging the metabolic effects of a ketogenic diet alongside a new drug, eFT508, currently undergoing clinical trials. The ketogenic diet, characterized by high fat and low carbohydrates, shifts the body’s metabolism into a state of ketosis, where fat becomes the primary energy source.
Researchers initially investigated how the body utilizes fat for energy during fasting and discovered that the protein eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF4E) plays a critical role in this metabolic switch. This protein helps the body switch to fat consumption during ketosis, a state induced by the ketogenic diet.
The study team found that eFT508, a new cancer drug that blocks eIF4E, effectively disrupts this fat metabolism process. In mouse models, the combination of the ketogenic diet and the drug led to the cessation of tumor growth. The drug appeared to deprive the cancer cells of their primary fuel source, resulting in tumor shrinkage.
Professor Davide Ruggero, senior author of the study, noted that the research points to a potential new approach to treating pancreatic cancer. “Our findings uncover a vulnerability that can be targeted with a clinical inhibitor already deemed safe for human use,” he said. “This opens up a new strategy for integrating diet with existing cancer therapies.”
Despite these promising results, Pancreatic Cancer UK advises caution. Dr. Chris Macdonald, head of research at the organization, stressed that the study is in its early stages and was conducted in mice, not humans. “Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest common cancer, with a high mortality rate shortly after diagnosis,” he said. “While understanding how cancer cells use fat for energy is crucial, this research is preliminary. We need further studies in human trials to confirm these findings and explore their clinical applicability.”
Overall, the study highlights a potential new approach to cancer treatment, combining dietary strategies with targeted drug therapies to exploit specific vulnerabilities in cancer cells.