Nat Commun: Study confirms that triple therapy for fasting and vitamin C-plus chemotherapy is effective for hard-to-treat cancers

Introduction: According to different preclinical and clinical trials, the pharmacological dose of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has been proposed as a potential anti-cancer drugRecent studies have shown that KRAS mutant cancers may exhibit greater sensitivity to the anti-tumor effects of vitamin C, making this usually non-toxic compound a potential weapon against this invasive tumor typeA study published May 11 in Nature Communications suggests that a combination of fasting and vitamin C has an effect on cancerthat that is difficult to treatscientists at the University of Southern California (USC) and the IFOM Cancer Institute in Milan have found that a diet that simulates fasting (FMD) combined with vitamin C can more effectively treat certain types of cancerin mice, the researchers found that the combination delayed the growth of tumors in several colorectal cancer mouse models; The findings were published May 11 in the journal Nature Communications"For the first time, we showed how a completely non-toxic intervention can effectively treat an invasive cancer, and we used two widely studied treatments as anti-aging interventions - simulated fasting diets and vitamin C -- that combine them as powerful tools for cancer treatment," said Walter Longo, senior author of the study and director of the Institute of Longevity at the University of Southern California at the Leonard Davis School of Advanced Medicine and a professor of biological sciences at the University of Southern California's DornesifEr School of Artsresearchers say that while fasting remains a challenging option for cancer patients, a safer and more practical option is a low-calorie, plant-based diet that allows cells to react as if the body is fastingThe results suggest that a low-toxic therapy similar to a fasting diet with vitamin C may replace more toxic therapiesprevious studies on the potential of vitamin C to fight cancer are inconsistent, and recent studies are beginning to show some efficacy, especially when combined with chemotherapyIn the new study, the team wanted to create an environment that is destructive to cancer cells and remainsafe for normal cells, in order to find a simulated fasting diet to enhance the anti-tumor effects of high doses of vitamin C"Our first in vitro trial has shown significant results, and when simulated fasting diets or vitamin C is used alone, it can slow the growth of cancer cells and cause a slight increase in cancer cell death," saidof the-simulated fasting diet (FMD)/short-term hunger (STS) that enhanced the anticancer activity of vitamin C in KARS-mutated tumors,Longo saidBut when they were used together, they produced amazing results, killing almost all cancer cellsFMD, vitamin C and OXP (Oxali platinum) triple therapy can delay tumor progression and prolong survivalLongo and his colleagues only detected this powerful effect in cancer cells, which are considered one of the most challenging targets in cancer researchThese mutations in the KRAS gene indicate that the body is resisting most cancer treatments, which reduce soutcomesTHE KRAS mutation occurs in about a quarter of human cancers, and the PRESENCE of KRAS in half of colorectal cancers is estimatedthis study also provides some clues as to why early studies have shown limited efficacy in vitamin C as a potential cancer treatmentVitamin C treatment sits on its own to trigger a KRAS mutation that protects cancer cells by increasing the level of ferritin, a protein that binds to ironBut by lowering ferritin levels, the scientists managed to increase the toxicity of vitamin C to cancer cellsIn the study, the researchers also found that patients with colorectal cancer with high levels of iron-binding proteins had lower survival rates"In this study, we looked at how fasting, which simulates a diet cycle, increases the pharmacological dose of vitamin C on KRAS mutation cancer," said study co-author Maria Di Tano of IFOM,the institute of molecular oncology in Milan, ItalyThis is achieved through the molecular mechanisms of iron levels and oxidative stressThis conclusion highlights a gene that regulates iron levels: heme-oxygenase-1( heme-oxygenase-1)earlier research by the team suggested that fasting and simulated fasting can slow the growth of cancer cells, make chemotherapy for tumor cells more effective, and protect normal cells from chemotherapy-related side effectsThis combination enhances the immune system's antitumor response in mouse models of breast cancer and melanomascientists are confident that cancer will eventually be treated with low-toxic drugs in a similar way to antibiotics that kill specific bacteria, but if the first drug does n'up, it could be replaced with another drugto achieve this goal, the researchers tested two hypotheses: the non-toxic combination intervention would work in mice and have promising prospects in human clinical testsIn the new study, researchers have demonstrated both assumptions At least five clinical trials, including one at the University of Southern California for breast and prostate cancer patients, are now studying the effects of simulating a fasting diet and the combination of different anticancer drugs triple therapy (FMD plus vitamin C and chemotherapy) is the most effective treatment intervention, which can delay the growth of xenotransplanttumors in mice and extend the survival of the same gene model These results suggest that chemotherapy can further enhance the effects of FMD and vitamin C on KRAS mutation cancer