NOTE: Before reading the article and imagining large meat feasts, let’s remember two things. The ketogenic diet is moderate/low in protein, extremely low in carbohydrates, and very high in healthy fats. It’s certainly possible to follow it even if you’re vegan or pescatarian. For example, a green salad with assorted seeds, extra-virgin olive oil, and a few pieces of tofu is ketogenic. An 800-gram steak with 30% fat and 40% protein is not ketogenic.

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine and the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a promising way to boost CAR T cell therapy through a ketogenic diet or beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) supplements. Instead of further genetic engineering, this strategy focuses on improving T cell metabolism to enhance cancer-fighting capabilities.

CAR T cell therapy modifies a patient’s own immune cells to target specific cancer cells, and it has shown success in many individuals with blood cancers. However, not everyone responds. By tapping into dietary modifications—in particular, the ketogenic diet—researchers hope to empower T cells with a readily available and efficient fuel source.

Study Highlights

• Diet Comparisons: Mice with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma were put on ketogenic, high-fiber, high-fat, high-protein, high-cholesterol, or control diets. The ketogenic group showed the greatest tumor control and longest survival.
• BHB Discovery: Investigators pinpointed beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) as the critical mediator. CAR T cells favor BHB as an energy source over glucose, leading to enhanced expansion and activity.
• Human Cancer Models: Supplementing BHB alongside CAR T therapy in lab tests eradicated cancer in most mice and correlated with better T cell expansion in patient blood samples.

The data suggest that CAR T cells prefer BHB, giving them extra power to destroy cancer cells. This effect appears to stem from changes in blood metabolism, rather than gut microbiome alterations, which are typical in high-fiber regimens.

A Phase 1 clinical trial at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center is now testing whether BHB supplementation can boost the efficacy of anti-CD19 CAR T cells in patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma.

Future Directions

• If results support the preclinical findings, BHB supplements—possibly combined with dietary interventions—may become a cost-effective way to strengthen CAR T therapy.
• BHB’s low toxicity profile offers an added advantage in patient care.

Important Note
This research is still in its early stages. No specific diet or supplement recommendations should be made until robust clinical evidence is available.

Source.