Cancer Discovery: Large-scale clinical trial confirms: short-term fasting is safe, can enhance anti-tumor immunity

As the saying goes: people are iron, rice is steel, if you don't eat a meal, you will be hungry

As the saying goes: people are iron, rice is steel, if you don't eat a meal, you will be hungry

Fasting has become a very popular way to lose weight, and many people on social networks claim that it is the best way to lose weight

Cancer Discovery Cancer Discovery Fasting-mimicking diet is safe and reshapes metabolism and antitumor immunity in cancer patients

CONCLUSIONS: Fasting involving short-term, severe caloric restriction is safe and feasible in cancer patients receiving standard care and results in lower blood glucose and growth factor concentrations, decreased peripheral blood immunosuppressive cells, and intratumoral T cell infiltration.

Preclinical studies have demonstrated that severe caloric restriction in the form of short-term fasting or fasting-mimicking diets (FMD), in combination with standard drug therapy, has powerful anticancer effects

Dr Claudio Vernieri, first author of the study, said: " Our first-in-human clinical trial results suggest that a fasting regimen of severe short-term caloric restriction is safe and biologically active in patients, which may involve activation of an immune response

Our first-in-human clinical trial results suggest that a fasting regimen of severe short-term caloric restriction is safe and biologically active in patients, possibly involving activation of an immune response

Study recruited 101 patients with different types of tumors

The study recruited 101 patients with different tumor types The study recruited 101 patients with different tumor types

After a simulated fasting cycle, patients entered a 16-23-day recovery period during which they were not placed on specific dietary restrictions, but were advised to adhere to international guidelines for healthy eating and life>

Simulated Fasting Cycle Flowchart

Simulated Fasting Cycle Flowchart Simulated Fasting Cycle Flowchart

In a statistical analysis of all patients who participated in fasting, the fasting trial had a success rate of 91.

These results suggest that short-term severe caloric restriction is safe, feasible, and well tolerated by most patients regardless of tumor type and antitumor treatment modality

Short-term severe caloric restriction is safe, feasible, and well tolerated by most patients regardless of tumor type and antitumor therapy

At the same time, the researchers also assessed the effects of simulated fasting on the patients' metabolic and immune responses

Mock fasting reduces blood sugar, insulin and growth factor IGF-1 levels in cancer patients

Simulated fasting reduces blood sugar, insulin and growth factor IGF-1 levels in cancer patients Simulated fasting reduces blood sugar, insulin and growth factor IGF-1 levels in cancer patients

"The metabolic changes we observed in patients were similar to those induced by calorie restriction in preclinical models, and they were associated with potent antitumor effects," said Dr.

In addition, in an analysis of 38 patients after a 5-day simulated fasting diet cycle, the researchers found that the patients had a significant decrease in the subset of circulating immunosuppressive myeloid cells and an increase in activated CD8+ T cells

This is because strict caloric restriction creates a metabolic 'shock' that activates populations of immune cells that boost the antitumor activity of standard antitumor treatments

Mock fasting reduces peripheral blood immunosuppressive cells and increases effector T cells in cancer patients and healthy volunteers

Mock fasting reduces peripheral blood immunosuppressive cells and increases effector T cells in cancer patients and healthy volunteers Mock fasting reduces peripheral blood immunosuppressive cells and increases effector T cells in cancer patients and healthy volunteers

To investigate the effects of a simulated fasting diet on intratumoral immunity, the research team conducted an interim analysis of another ongoing trial testing patients with early-stage breast cancer and melanoma undergoing a 5-day simulated fasting period 7 to 10 days before surgery.

Simulated fasting reshapes intratumoral immunity in breast cancer patients

Simulated fasting reshapes intratumoral immunity in breast cancer patients Simulated fasting reshapes intratumoral immunity in breast cancer patients

The results of the above studies all indicate that the simulated fasting diet is beneficial to the metabolic health of cancer patients and enhances the body's anti-tumor ability
.
And desirable immunomodulatory effects were observed at both the systemic and tumor levels
.

A simulated fasting diet can benefit the metabolic health of cancer patients and enhance the body's anti-tumor ability
.
And desirable immunomodulatory effects were observed at both the systemic and tumor levels
.

Finally, the research team says that new clinical trials have recently been initiated to understand whether the metabolic and immune effects caused by caloric restriction have clinically relevant consequences, improving the efficacy of anti-tumor treatments and prolonging life expectancy in cancer patients
.

About the Fasting Simulated Diet (FMD)

About the Fasting Simulated Diet (FMD)

Professor Valter Longo

Prof.
Valter Longo Prof.
Valter Longo

This diet was developed by Professor Valter Longo of the University of Southern California in the United States.
It takes 5 days as a cycle and only needs to complete one cycle per month
.
Specifically:

Calorie intake: 11-16 calories per kilogram of body weight on day 1; 7-11 calories per kilogram of body weight on days 2-5
.

Food composition: 10% protein + 56% fat + 34% carbohydrates on day 1; 9% protein + 44% fat + 47% carbohydrates on days 2-5
.

Of course, the food here is not a random choice.
Vegetables, fruits, and nuts are the main ingredients.
Vegetables are made into salads, stews, or soups.
They are large in size and low in calories
.
Fat is provided by olive oil, protein is provided by nuts, and carbohydrates are provided by small amounts of sugar and honey
.

You can resume your normal diet on day 6, but pay attention to the transition to prevent overloading your digestive system, and don’t eat a lot of sugar and meat right away
.

 

Original source:

Original source:

Claudio Vernieri, Giovanni Fucà, Francesca Ligorio, et al.
Fasting-Mimicking Diet Is Safe and Reshapes Metabolism and Antitumor Immunity in Patients with Cancer .
Cancer Discovery, 2021.

Fasting-Mimicking Diet Is Safe and Reshapes Metabolism and Antitumor Immunity in Patients with CancerLeave

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