Calorie reduction to help the immune system fight cancer
Official title: Dietary regulation of anti-tumor immunity through caloric restriction
Funded at Van Andel Research Institute · NIH-11304546 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether eating fewer calories and increasing ketone availability helps immune T cells better fight tumors in people with cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Van Andel Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Grand Rapids, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $767,324 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CA297713-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11304546 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with solid tumors who are open to dietary interventions or who are receiving immune-based cancer treatments would be the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers that do not rely on immune responses, or those who cannot safely reduce calorie intake, may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Researchers will reduce calorie intake (about 30–50%) and study how that changes nutrients in the tumor environment, focusing on ketone bodies versus fatty acids. They will track how these changes steer CD8 T cells between active tumor-killing and exhausted states using animal models, cellular experiments, and molecular analyses. The work examines epigenetic, transcriptional, and metabolic programs in T cells and tests whether the ability of T cells to use ketones is required for the anti-tumor effect. Findings aim to reveal diet-regulated mechanisms that could guide future dietary or drug approaches to boost anti-tumor immunity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to dietary strategies or new therapies that strengthen T cell responses to help control tumors.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal and early clinical work suggests calorie restriction or ketogenic approaches can slow tumor growth and alter immunity, but the specific role of ketone metabolism in CD8 T cells is a newer, still-emerging finding.
Where this research is happening
-
Van Andel Research Institute
Grand Rapids, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jones, Russell Graham — Van Andel Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Jones, Russell Graham
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.