> Our Work > The Work We Fund

2022 Ronald & Victoria Simms – PCF Young Investigator Award

Elucidating Metabolic Health for Prostate Cancer Patients through Dietary Intervention (DINE Study)

Ashley E. Holly, PhD, MBA

Mentors: Nima Sharifi, MD, Matthew Vander Heiden, MD, PhD

Description:

  • Active surveillance (AS) is often a preferred choice for patients with localized prostate cancer due to improved quality of life (QoL) compared to cancer therapies after diagnosis; however, for many patients, local or systemic treatment is necessary, which can adversely impact their metabolic health.
  • There exists a pressing unmet need to identify lifestyle changes patients can make to improve their metabolic health prior to and during cancer therapies.
  • Studies have suggested that diet can impact prostate cancer progression, however, more robust and conclusive studies are needed.
  • Dr. Ashley E. Holly will conduct a two-part clinical trial to evaluate the impact of two dietary interventions, low fat and lower carbohydrate, on metabolism in (1) patients with a high suspicion of prostate cancer and (2) patients diagnosed with localized prostate cancer who are placed on active surveillance.
  • The impact of these dietary interventions on patient and tumor metabolism, biomarkers of inflammation and metabolic disorders (such as diabetes), and on the composition of the gut microbiome will be evaluated. Patient dietary behavior, safety, and compliance will also be evaluated.
  • If successful, this project will determine whether and how dietary interventions impact biology in patients and will provide a foundation for testing the impacts of dietary interventions on outcomes and quality of life in patients undergoing ADT or other treatments.

What this means to patients: Dr. Holly and team are conducting a controlled diet study to evaluate the impact of low fat or lower carbohydrate diets on the metabolic state of patients. This will provide knowledge of lifestyle changes patients can make to improve their outcomes when on active surveillance or undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.