2012年9月13日 訊 /生物谷BIOON/ --在一項新研究中，來自美國南加州大學的研究人員首次證實控制性禁食(controlled fasting)改善在癌症治療中的化療療效，延長患有侵襲性腦瘤的小鼠的預期壽命。
在這項刊登在PLoS ONE期刊上的最新研究中，研究人員首次證實禁食時間似乎提高化療在治療神經膠質瘤上的療效。神經膠質瘤是一種最為常見被診斷出來的腦瘤。患有神經膠質瘤的病人平均存活期限小於兩年。
論文通信作者Valter Longo和他的同事們研究了禁食與化療以及禁食與化療藥物替莫唑胺(Temozolomide)組合使用的療效。他們發現對小鼠進行控制性短期禁食，每個治療周期不超過48個小時，能夠改善化療和化療在治療神經膠質瘤中的療效。即便所研究的腦瘤能夠極其侵襲性地生長，參加禁食和接受化療治療的小鼠在治療結束時存活的數量是只參加禁食或只接受化療治療的那些小鼠的兩倍多。
這些研究結果證實禁食和標準化療與放療在治療神經膠質瘤中發揮出有益性作用。(生物谷Bioon.com)
Fasting Enhances the Response of Glioma to Chemo- and Radiotherapy
Fernando Safdie1#, Sebastian Brandhorst1,4#, Min Wei1, Weijun Wang2, Changhan Lee1, Saewon Hwang1, Peter S. Conti3, Thomas C. Chen2, Valter D. Longo
Background
Glioma, including anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are among the most commonly diagnosed malignant adult brain tumors. GBM is a highly invasive and angiogenic tumor, resulting in a 12 to 15 months median survival. The treatment of GBM is multimodal and includes surgical resection, followed by adjuvant radio-and chemotherapy. We have previously reported that short-term starvation (STS) enhances the therapeutic index of chemo-treatments by differentially protecting normal cells against and/or sensitizing tumor cells to chemotoxicity.
Methodology and Principal Findings
To test the effect of starvation on glioma cells in vitro, we treated primary mouse glia, murine GL26, rat C6 and human U251, LN229 and A172 glioma cells with Temozolomide in ad lib and STS mimicking conditions. In vivo, mice with subcutaneous or intracranial models of GL26 glioma were starved for 48 hours prior to radio- or chemotherapy and the effects on tumor progression and survival were measured. Starvation-mimicking conditions sensitized murine, rat and human glioma cells, but not primary mixed glia, to chemotherapy. In vivo, starvation for 48 hours, which causes a significant reduction in blood glucose and circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels, sensitized both subcutaneous and intracranial glioma models to radio-and chemotherapy.
Conclusion
Starvation-induced cancer sensitization to radio- or chemotherapy leads to extended survival in the in vivo glioma models tested. These results indicate that fasting and fasting-mimicking interventions could enhance the efficacy of existing cancer treatments against aggressive glioma in patients.