OBJECTIVE: This overview on glutamine, cancer and its therapy discusses some of the in vitro and in vivo work on glutamine and tumor growth, and summarizes animal and human data on the potential benefits of glutamine in the tumor-bearing host receiving radiation or chemotherapy. BACKGROUND: Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. A tumor can act as a "glutamine trap," depleting host glutamine stores and resulting in cachexia. In vitro evidence of the dependence of tumor growth on glutamine has deterred its use in the clinic setting. METHODS: Data from a variety of investigations studying glutamine's interaction with the tumor-bearing host receiving radiation or chemotherapy were compiled and summarized. RESULTS: A large body of evidence in vivo suggests that supplemental glutamine does not make tumors grow but in fact results in decreased growth through stimulation of the immune system. When given with radiation or chemotherapy, glutamine protects the host and actually increases the selectivity of therapy for the tumor. CONCLUSION: Further prospective randomized trials are needed to demonstrate the safety and efficacy in humans undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.
OBJECTIVE: This overview on glutamine, cancer and its therapy discusses some of the in vitro and in vivo work on glutamine and tumor growth, and summarizes animal and human data on the potential benefits of glutamine in the tumor-bearing host receiving radiation or chemotherapy. BACKGROUND:Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. A tumor can act as a "glutamine trap," depleting host glutamine stores and resulting in cachexia. In vitro evidence of the dependence of tumor growth on glutamine has deterred its use in the clinic setting. METHODS: Data from a variety of investigations studying glutamine's interaction with the tumor-bearing host receiving radiation or chemotherapy were compiled and summarized. RESULTS: A large body of evidence in vivo suggests that supplemental glutamine does not make tumors grow but in fact results in decreased growth through stimulation of the immune system. When given with radiation or chemotherapy, glutamine protects the host and actually increases the selectivity of therapy for the tumor. CONCLUSION: Further prospective randomized trials are needed to demonstrate the safety and efficacy in humans undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.
Authors: N M A Blijlevens; J P Donnelly; A H J Naber; A V M B Schattenberg; B E DePauw Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2005-03-15 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: David R Wise; Ralph J DeBerardinis; Anthony Mancuso; Nabil Sayed; Xiao-Yong Zhang; Harla K Pfeiffer; Ilana Nissim; Evgueni Daikhin; Marc Yudkoff; Steven B McMahon; Craig B Thompson Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2008-11-24 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Paul L Feingold; Deborah R Surman; Kate Brown; Yuan Xu; Lucas A McDuffie; Vivek Shukla; Emily S Reardon; Daniel R Crooks; Jane B Trepel; Sunmin Lee; Min-Jung Lee; Shaojian Gao; Sichuan Xi; Kaitlin C McLoughlin; Laurence P Diggs; David G Beer; Derek J Nancarrow; Leonard M Neckers; Jeremy L Davis; Chuong D Hoang; Jonathan M Hernandez; David S Schrump; R Taylor Ripley Journal: Mol Cancer Ther Date: 2018-06-22 Impact factor: 6.261