GLUTAMINE, CANCER, AND ITS THERAPY

OBJECTIVE: This Overview an glutamine, cancer and its therapy discusse s 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 glu tamine in the tumor-bearing host receiving radiation or chemotherapy. BACKGROUND: Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. A t umor can act as a ''glutamine trap,'' depleting host glutamine stores and resulting in cachexia. In vitro evidence of the dependence of tumo r growth on glutamine has deterred its use in the clinic setting. METH ODS: Data from a variety of investigations studying glutamine's intera ction with the tumor-bearing host receiving radiation or chemotherapy were compiled and summarized. RESULTS: A large body of evidence in viv o suggests that supplemental glutamine does not make tumors grow but i n fact results in decreased growth through stimulation of the immune s ystem. When given with radiation or chemotherapy, glutamine protects t he host and actually increases the selectivity of therapy for the tumo r. CONCLUSION: Further prospective randomized trials are needed to dem onstrate the safety and efficacy in humans undergoing radiation and ch emotherapy. (C) 1996 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.