The abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth in the prostate gland usually forms cancer. It is one of the most common cancers in America and needs proper diagnosis and treatment. Healthcare professionals perform immunotherapy called immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) to treat people with this cancer. It usually helps T cells (defense cells) to destroy the cancer cells. But this cancer treatment does not work effectively for some people and increases the risk of several complications. Researchers from the University of Notre Dame tried to reduce this risk. Â
In a recent study published in the Cancer Research Journal, researchers revealed that adding a pre-ketone supplement (a component of a high-fat and low-carb ketogenic diet) to a certain type of cancer treatment effectively treats people with prostate cancer. They conducted this research on mice with prostate cancer. They divided them into six groups such as the immunotherapy group, a ketogenic diet group, a pre-ketone supplement group, the ketogenic diet with immunotherapy group and the pre-ketone supplement with the immunotherapy group and the control group. Â
When researchers observed these groups, they found that mice in the immunotherapy group had no effect on their cancer cells. But mice in the ketogenic diet with immunotherapy group and the pre-ketone supplement showed that both treatments destroyed cancer cells effectively and reduced the risk of death.Â
Researchers noticed that the pre-ketone supplement with immunotherapy worked well for this cancer and reduced it by 23%. These 23% of mice were tumor free and, in the rest, the cancer cells were being destroyed very effectively. Â
The researchers also used single-cell RNA sequencing and tried to understand how genes worked in cells within the cancer tumours. They found that the combination of a pre-ketone supplement and immunotherapy increased the number of T cells and changed the immune profile of the cancer tumours. Â
As the results show that the combination of pre-ketone supplement and immunotherapy can work effectively in people with prostate cancer, this can save many lives. Healthcare professionals should treat people by using this treatment. Even though the results are positive, there is a need for further research. Â
Reference Link:Â
Sean Murphy et al, Ketogenic diet alters the epigenetic and immune landscape of prostate cancer to overcome resistance to immune checkpoint blockade therapy, Cancer Research (2024). Â
