Exploring how dietary glutamine can help prevent and treat melanoma
Official title: Using dietary glutamine supplementation for melanoma prevention and targeted therapy
Funded at University of California-Irvine · NIH-10881802 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how adding more glutamine to your diet might help slow down melanoma, a type of skin cancer, and make cancer treatments work better, so patients can learn how their diet could improve their treatment results.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $403,742 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA244360-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-10881802 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are melanoma patients who are looking for complementary approaches to enhance their treatment outcomes.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with melanoma who are not open to dietary changes or those with specific dietary restrictions may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the effects of dietary glutamine supplementation on melanoma, a type of skin cancer. It aims to understand how increasing glutamine levels in the diet can inhibit tumor growth and enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatments. By analyzing tumor responses in patient-derived models, the study seeks to provide molecular evidence that nutritional interventions can play a crucial role in cancer therapy. Patients may benefit from a better understanding of how diet can influence their cancer treatment outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new dietary recommendations that improve treatment responses and prevent melanoma progression.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results with dietary interventions in cancer treatment, suggesting that this approach may be effective.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kong, Mei — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Kong, Mei
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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.