Fasting enhances the response of glioma to chemo- and radiotherapy.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Preclinical in vitro and animal research without human participants.
PubMed 22984531 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0044603
What was done
Researchers evaluated the effects of short-term starvation (STS) on glioma response to treatment. In vitro, primary mouse glia, murine GL26, rat C6, and human glioma cell lines (U251, LN229, A172) were treated with temozolomide under standard and STS-mimicking conditions. In vivo, mice bearing subcutaneous or intracranial GL26 glioma models underwent 48 hours of fasting prior to chemotherapy or radiotherapy to evaluate tumor progression, physiological markers (blood glucose, IGF-1), and overall survival.
What was found
In vitro STS-mimicking conditions sensitized murine, rat, and human glioma cells, but not primary mixed glia, to chemotherapy. In vivo, 48 hours of fasting significantly reduced blood glucose and circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels, sensitized subcutaneous and intracranial glioma models to radio- and chemotherapy, and extended survival. The abstract does not report specific numerical values or survival metrics.
Why it matters
This study provides preclinical proof-of-concept that short-term fasting selectively sensitizes aggressive glioma to standard radio- and chemotherapy in animal models. It supports investigating fasting or fasting-mimicking diets as adjuncts to glioblastoma therapy in human clinical trials.
Limits
The findings are limited entirely to in vitro and rodent models and cannot establish clinical efficacy or safety in humans. The abstract does not report sample sizes, exact survival extensions, statistical significance levels, or feasibility and safety data for multi-day fasting in glioblastoma patients.
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