New approach to cancer Can cancer cells be destroyed by overfeeding them?

New form of therapy uses exceptional approach

Oxidative stress is a phenomenon that occurs at a cellular level and that can cause previously healthy cells to get sick and eventually die. Cancer uses such oxidative stress to its growth and spread. Researchers are now investigating whether this phenomenon can be used against cancer.

In their current study, the researchers from Augusta University investigated whether cancer can be combated by overfeeding it as it were. The experts published the results of their analysis in the English-language journal "Cell Metabolism".

A new form of therapy could in the future revolutionize the treatment of cancer. In this treatment, the cancer is virtually overfeeding, which causes it eventually dies. (Image: DOC RABE Media / fotolia.com)

What are oxygen radicals?

Reactive oxygen species (often referred to simply as ROS or oxygen radicals) are substances that are naturally produced after oxygen metabolism. They usually play an important role in the regulation of the biological function (homeostasis) as well as in the signaling of cells. However, when these oxygen radicals reach abnormal levels, this can lead to oxidative stress, a phenomenon that leads to cell aging and aging of the organism, the experts explain.

Researchers planned to overfeed cancer

In contrast to healthy cells, cancer cells require much higher ROS levels, allowing them to sustain their accelerated growth and spread. The researchers are now investigating whether they can use this effect to treat cancer through a fascinating strategy. They wanted to increase the production of oxygen radicals so much that the cancer cells die off.

What is the adoptive T-cell therapy?

Dr. Gang Zhou and his colleagues at Augusta University used a therapy that resulted in an increase in ROS in cancerous tumors, causing the overloaded cells to self-destruct. Adoptive T-cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy that uses specialized immune cells or T-cells to attack and destroy cancerous tumors, the physicians explain.

Examination was performed on mice with colon cancer

In their study, the doctors researched mice with colon cancer. After the mice were given a type of chemotherapy already known to aid the action of T cells, the animals were subjected to immunotherapy. After treatment, the researchers found that the production of glutathione (a natural antioxidant), which is produced at the cellular level and counterbalances ROS, was disrupted by the treatment. As a result, ROS was over-accumulated and reached too high levels in the cancer cells. The T cells also stimulated the production of a number of specialized proteins known as proinflammatory cytokines. Among these cytokines was the so-called tumor necrosis factor alpha, which is already known to play a role in both cell death and tumor progression.

Adoptive T-cell therapy resulted in complete tumor regression

The results of the study show that tumor necrosis factor alpha can act directly on tumor cells and induce ROS in them, the researchers explain. Thanks to the metabolic changes induced by adoptive T-cell therapy, scientists observed complete tumor regression in almost all mice receiving this form of treatment. Similar results were observed when this approach was tested on models of breast cancer and cancer of the lymphatic system or lymphoma.

Combined Behnung showed great success

The researchers also found that increased production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha due to immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy further increased oxidative stress and destroyed cancer cells. Another result of the study was that the administration of pro-oxidants had similar effects as adoptive T-cell therapy, as these drugs also increased ROS levels.

Further research is needed

Researchers have found that cancer cells and T cells can compete for energy sources to interfere with each other. Often, however, the T cells starve to death because the necessary nutrients are used by the cancer cells. Adoptive T-cell therapy is a new type of approach that could be used to treat certain cancers, such as colon cancer. Therefore, more efforts should be made to better understand the effect of T cells and to improve the potential of immunotherapy in the destruction of cancer, the authors of the study explain. (As)