BHB from a keto diet enhances CAR T cells’ cancer-fighting abilities, showing promise for low-cost, effective cancer immunotherapy.

CAR T cell therapy is a cellular based immunotherapy treatment that trains a patient’s T cells to identify and destroy cancer cells. It is very effective for patients with these diseases, though not all patients with blood cancer experience remission. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center are trying to learn how to improve such outcomes through nutrition approaches (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
CAR T Cell Therapy

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Ketogenic Diet and Tumor Suppression

Several diets such as ketogenic, high fiber, high protein and control diet were tried in a mouse model of diffuse-large B-cell lymphoma. The ketogenic diet was found to improve tumor control and survival in mice. One was beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), a substance formed by the liver in response to a ketogenic diet. According to the research, BHB acted as a good energy source for CAR T cells, which helped improve their function in fighting cancer.

Laboratory Studies and Translational Insights

Subsequent experiments in other human cancer models supported by laboratory also showed that BHB increased CAR T cell function and efficiency in eradicating tumors in most of the cases. Blood samples drawn from CAR T cell therapy patients showed that patients with elevated levels of BHBs had better T cell expansion.

Conversely, the energy generation was upregulated in the T cells from healthy volunteers treated with supplemented BHB. While dietary fibers modulate the gut microbiome and cancer outcomes, the BHB enhances outcomes through specific metabolic alterations in the blood.

Potential for Clinical Application

These have led to the conduct of a Phase I clinical trial at Penn Medicine Abramson Cancer Center. This trial by Dr. Elise Chong will determine whether BHB supplementation helps individuals with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma who are receiving anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy treatment.

Implications and Future Directions

If realised, BHB supplementation could be an economical and low toxic means of enhancing the results of CAR T cell therapy. “This strategy could potentially be combined with dietary interventions or traditional treatments to enhance anti-cancer effects,” said Dr. Maayan Levy from the procedural co-senior authors list.

Low tech interventions such as BHB manipulation demonstrate the ability to build on the advancement of ‘next generation’ therapy in terms of patient care by continuing to improve upon the core concepts.

Reference:

1. CAR T Cell Therapy – (https://www.pennmedicine.org/cancer/navigating-cancer-care/treatment-types/immunotherapy/what-is-car-t-therapy)

Source-Medindia