The double face of cold in cancer

In a recent paper published in Nature, multiple evidence is provided that cold exposure causes tumor growth restriction in mice, by activating brown adipose tissue metabolism and by subsequent cancer cells' glucose starvation. The paper shows a tumor growth inhibition by 80% for multiple cancer types in mice exposed to 4 degrees C in comparison with mice exposed to 30 degrees C. These results are very promising since cost effective protocols could be designed for future clinical trials, for several cancer forms. In this commentary, an extensive analysis is performed on the potential of these results. Some previous published studies are discussed as well, showing differences in tumor growth for mice housed in different external temperatures.

Automated summary

In a recent paper published in Nature, it is shown that cold exposure restricts tumor growth in mice by activating brown adipose tissue metabolism and inducing glucose starvation in cancer cells. Tumor growth inhibition of 80% was observed in multiple cancer types in mice exposed to 4 degrees C compared to those exposed to 30 degrees C. These findings are promising for the development of cost-effective protocols for future clinical trials targeting various forms of cancer. This commentary provides an extensive analysis of the potential implications of these results and discusses previous studies showing differences in tumor growth in mice housed at different ambient temperatures.