Fasting inhibits human cancer progression via the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process: Important evidence unraveled

Metastatic cancer disease is responsible for the majority of cancer-related deaths in human cancer patients. In parallel, recently it was pointed-out that fasting could play an important role during cancer treatment and progression via the deregulation of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) as well as others growth factors and genes. Meanwhile, it is established that the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a major process for the progression of cancer cells from non-invasive to invasive form. We believe that fasting can inhibit cancer progression and metastasis though the reduction of IGF-1 level and consequently the inhibition of EMT; in this paper, we present some evidence to confirm this association.