Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that a ketogenic diet can enhance the effectiveness of CAR T cell therapy, a personalized treatment approach for blood cancers. The key to this breakthrough is beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), a metabolite produced during ketosis, which CAR T cells prefer as an energy source over glucose.
In laboratory models, mice with lymphoma were fed a ketogenic diet and showed improved tumor control and survival rates. This was attributed to higher levels of BHB, which the researchers found gave CAR T cells more power to target cancer cells.
Translational studies in human samples confirmed that patients with higher BHB levels experienced better CAR T cell performance. The findings are now being tested in a Phase I clinical trial for lymphoma patients receiving CAR T therapy.
If successful, this approach could significantly improve cancer immunotherapy outcomes. A ketogenic diet is a low-toxicity, cost-effective strategy that may provide a new way to boost CAR T cell function.
Source: https://neurosciencenews.com/keto-bhb-cancer-therapy-28205