Project Overview
This project investigates how β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB), the major ketone body produced during ketogenic diets and fasting, influences breast cancer cell metabolism, survival, and oncogenic behavior. Using molecular, metabolic, and transcriptomic approaches, the study examines how breast cancer cells utilize ketone bodies as signaling molecules and alternative energy sources under nutrient-limited conditions. The findings reveal distinct metabolic responses among breast cancer subtypes, highlighting the importance of personalized metabolic interventions in oncology.
Research Focus
- Cancer Metabolism
- Breast Cancer Biology
- Nutritional Oncology
- Precision Oncology
Experimental Approaches
- Breast cancer cell line models
- ketogenic and starvation culture systems
- Seahorse metabolic analysis
- LC-MS metabolomics
- RNA-seq
- ROS assays
- migration and invasion assays
Principal Investigators: Dr. Elemeleh Nesher, Dr. Igor Koman
The Tumor Cells Biology Lab
Clinical Relevance
- Identifies metabolic vulnerabilities that may be exploited for personalized breast cancer treatment
- Supports patient stratification for ketogenic diet–based or metabolism-targeted therapeutic approaches
- Reveals subtype-specific responses to ketone bodies emphasizing the need for precision oncology strategies
- Identifies molecular pathways involved in lipid metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation and tumor progression that could serve as therapeutic targets
- Provides mechanistic evidence for integrating metabolic profiling into treatment decision-making and biomarker development
Recent publications:
Fulman-Levy H., Cohen-Harazi R., Levi B., Argaev-Frenkel L., Abramovich I., Gottlieb E, Hofmann S., Koman I., Nesher E. Metabolic alterations and cellular responses to β-Hydroxybutyrate treatment in breast cancer cells // Cancer & Metabolism. 2024, 12:16, 1-15.
