Dietary glutamine to prevent and treat melanoma
Using dietary glutamine supplementation for melanoma prevention and targeted therapy
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · NIH-11113916
Researchers are looking at whether adding glutamine to the diet can slow melanoma growth and help treatments work better for people with melanoma.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (IRVINE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11113916 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This project explores whether increasing dietary glutamine can change melanoma cell metabolism and make tumors less aggressive and more sensitive to therapy. The team uses metabolomic analysis and patient-derived tumor grafts (PDX) in preclinical models to measure tumoral α-ketoglutarate, histone methylation, gene expression, and tumor growth after dietary supplementation. Early results showed that a high-glutamine diet raised tumoral α-ketoglutarate, lowered histone methylation, reduced expression of melanoma-related oncogenes, and slowed tumor growth in PDX models. The goal is to produce molecular evidence that could support dietary strategies or future clinical trials for melanoma patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with melanoma who are interested in metabolic or dietary approaches and who might be willing to enroll in related clinical trials at the research center.
Not a fit: People without melanoma or whose tumors do not depend on glutamine metabolism, and those who cannot safely increase dietary amino acids, are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could slow melanoma growth and make standard treatments more effective by changing tumor metabolism.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical and PDX studies have shown promising signals for this approach, but there is little to no clinical trial evidence in humans yet.
Where this research is happening
IRVINE, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE — IRVINE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: KONG, MEI — UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE
- Study coordinator: KONG, MEI
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 below.
Conditions: Cancer Genes, Cancer Intervention, Cancer Patient, Cancer Treatment, Cancer-Promoting Gene