Fasting mimicking diet in mice delays cancer growth and reduces immunotherapy-associated cardiovascular and systemic side effects
A study in mouse models of melanoma and lung cancer, testing the diet alone and with immunotherapy drugs. It did not include patients.
Nat Commun, 2023. Cortellino S, et al.
Funding and competing interests (from the paper, shortened): V.D.L. holds intellectual property rights on clinical uses of FMD and equity interest in L-Nutra. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.
- Study type
- Animal study (mice)
- Journal
- Nat Commun
- Published
- 2023
- Authors
- Cortellino S, et al.
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41467-023-41066-3
- PubMed ID
- 37684243
Summary
Researchers tested periodic Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) cycles in mice, alone and in combination with the immunotherapy antibodies anti-OX40 and anti-PD-L1, in a melanoma model and a lung cancer model. They compared tumour growth against immune checkpoint inhibitors given alone, and examined heart tissue and systemic markers in the treated mice.
The authors reported that the diet cycles, alone or combined with the antibodies, delayed melanoma growth more than the checkpoint inhibitors alone, and that the combination showed a trend toward an increased effect in the lung cancer model. They reported that the cardiac fibrosis, necrosis and hypertrophy caused by the checkpoint inhibitors were prevented or reversed under the diet in both cancer models, and that immune cell infiltration in heart tissue and systemic and myocardial markers of oxidative stress and inflammation were reduced.
This is an animal study in mouse cancer models, not a study in people and not a study of Prolon. The lung cancer result is described by the authors as a trend rather than a difference. Nothing here speaks to whether a diet affects cancer growth or immunotherapy side effects in patients.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
