Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

A Combined 3D Tissue Engineered In Vitro/In Silico Lung Tumor Model for Predicting Drug Effectiveness in Specific Mutational Backgrounds
13:34

A Combined 3D Tissue Engineered In Vitro/In Silico Lung Tumor Model for Predicting Drug Effectiveness in Specific Mutational Backgrounds

Published on: April 6, 2016

10.2K

In Vitro Simulated Ketogenic Diet Inhibits the Proliferation and Migration of Liver Cancer Cells by Reducing Insulin

Xiangming Ma1,2, Fei Tian3, Jian Li4

  • 1Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Kailuan General Hospital, Tangshan, Hebei, China.

The Turkish Journal of Gastroenterology : the Official Journal of Turkish Society of Gastroenterology
|September 30, 2024
PubMed

Insights

The ketogenic diet (KD) inhibits liver cancer cell growth by reducing insulin production and down-regulating FOXC2 expression. This study provides new insights into KD

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Metabolic Research
  • Hepatology

Background:

  • The ketogenic diet (KD) shows potential benefits for liver cancer patients.
  • The precise mechanisms behind KD's anti-cancer effects in liver cancer are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of a simulated ketogenic diet on hepatoma cell proliferation and migration.
  • To elucidate the molecular pathways involved in KD's anti-cancer activity in liver cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Simulated KD using β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB-Glow) in low-glucose medium.
  • Western blot, Seahorse XF96 analysis (OCR/ECAR), ELISA, bioinformatics, qPCR, and CCK-8 assay were employed.
  • FOXC2 expression and its role in cell proliferation and migration were assessed.

Main Results:

  • KD simulation reduced glycolysis-related proteins, extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), and insulin production.
  • KD simulation increased oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and significantly up-regulated FOXC2 expression in Huh-7 cells.
  • FOXC2 knockdown (sh-FOXC2) inhibited proliferation and migration; exogenous insulin promoted malignant progression.

Conclusions:

  • Ketogenic diet inhibits liver cancer cell proliferation and migration by reducing insulin production and down-regulating FOXC2 expression.
  • This study offers a novel theoretical basis for utilizing KD in liver cancer treatment.
  • In vitro findings highlight the interplay between metabolism, insulin, and FOXC2 in liver cancer progression.

More Related Videos

The Influence of Liver Resection on Intrahepatic Tumor Growth07:55

The Influence of Liver Resection on Intrahepatic Tumor Growth

Published on: April 9, 2016

9.4K
A Biomimetic Model for Liver Cancer to Study Tumor-Stroma Interactions in a 3D Environment with Tunable Bio-Physical Properties08:40

A Biomimetic Model for Liver Cancer to Study Tumor-Stroma Interactions in a 3D Environment with Tunable Bio-Physical Properties

Published on: August 7, 2020

6.2K

Related Concept Videos

Inhibition of Cdk Activity02:34

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...