The Effects of Beta-hydroxybutyrate and Glucose on Breast Cancer Cell Cycle Regulation and Metabolism

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death among women in Canada. Obesity is a major modifiable risk factor for many cancers, including breast cancer. Thus, managing body fatness is considered a potentially important intervention. The ketogenic diet (KD) has been garnering more attention as a novel cancer therapy due to its efficacy in inducing ketosis, a metabolic state resulting in reduced blood glucose, insulin and increased ketone bodies. When isolating the above mentioned KD-dependent circulatory changes my results show minor adaptive cellular responses in MCF7 and MDA-MB-468 cells, with no effect on overall cell cycle status. Overall there appears to be a trend to shifting metabolism, however it is likely that the major benefit from KD is mediated by the weight loss and changes in adipokine secretion profile that accompany KD, rather than the alterations in blood insulin, glucose and ketones in the circulation.