University of Southern California

Roberta Buono

Valter D Longo

A method for treating leukemia and in particular, lymphoblastic leukemia is provided. The method includes a step of administering an FMD to a subject identified as having leukemia optionally in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent and/or an autophagy inhibitor.

Fasting-mimicking diet promotes cancer-free survival in acute lymphoblastic leukemia models

Stem cell-based therapies can potentially reverse organ dysfunction and diseases but the removal of impaired tissue and reactivation of the program leading to organ regeneration pose major challenges. In mice, a four-day fasting mimicking diet (FMD) induces a step-wise expression of Sox17 and Pdx-1, resembling that observed during pancreatic development and followed by Ngn3-driven generation of insulin-producing &#x3b2;-cells. FMD cycles restore insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis in both a type 2 and type 1 diabetes mouse models. In human type 1 diabetes pancreatic islets, fasting conditions reduce PKA and mTOR activity and induce Sox2 and Ngn3 expression and insulin production. The effects of the FMD are reversed by IGF-1 treatment and recapitulated by PKA and mTOR inhibition. These results indicate that a FMD promotes the reprogramming of pancreatic cells to restore insulin generation in islets from T1D patients and reverse both T1D and T2D phenotypes in mouse models.

Growing community of inventors

Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Roberta Buono