Unlocking the Potential: Caloric Restriction, Caloric Restriction Mimetics, and Their Impact on Cancer Prevention and...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Metabolism
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Caloric restriction (CR) and its alternatives show potential for extending lifespan and reducing cancer risk in pre-clinical studies.
• Clinical trial results for CR have been less conclusive than pre-clinical findings.
• Caloric restriction mimetics (CRMs) offer an alternative to overcome fasting limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review clinical trials on the safety and efficacy of CR and CRMs in cancer therapy.
• To evaluate the potential of CR and CRMs as anti-cancer interventions.
• To identify promising CRMs for cancer risk reduction.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of diverse clinical trials.
• Evaluation of dietary interventions like fast-mimicking diets.
• Assessment of pharmacological agents (CRMs) including metformin and aspirin.

Main Results:

• A fast-mimicking diet was well-tolerated and reduced tumoral growth markers and chemotherapy side effects.
• CRMs were generally well-tolerated.
• Metformin and aspirin demonstrated promising effects in reducing cancer risk in specific patient groups.

Conclusions:

• CR and CRMs show promising effects in anti-cancer therapy.
• Further research is required to establish the safety and efficacy of CR and CRMs for standard-of-care cancer treatment.
• Dietary interventions and specific CRMs warrant further investigation for their role in oncology.