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Objective
This overview on glutamine, cancer and its therapy discusses some of the in vitro
and in vivo work on glutamine and tumor growth, and summarizes animal and human data
on the potential benefits of glutamine in the tumor-bearing host receiving radiation
or chemotherapy.
Background
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. A tumor can act as a “glutamine
trap,” depleting host glutamine stores and resulting in cachexia. In vitro evidence
of the dependence of tumor growth on glutamine has deterred its use in the clinic
setting.
Methods
Data from a variety of investigations studying glutamine's interaction with the tumorbearing
host receiving radiation or chemotherapy were compiled and summarized.
Results
A large body of evidence in vivo suggests that supplemental glutamine does not make
tumors grow but in fact results in decreased growth through stimulation of the immune
system. When given with radiation or chemotherapy, glutamine protects the host and
actually increases the selectivity of therapy for the tumor.
Conclusion
Further prospective randomized trials are needed to demonstrate the safety and efficacy
in humans undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.
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Article info
Footnotes
*Presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Surgical Congress, Scottsdale, Arizona, April 28–May 1, 1996.
Identification
Copyright
© 1996 Excerpta Medica, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by Elsevier Inc.
