While the ketogenic diet has emerged as a promising nutritional intervention in cancer therapy, the core signaling pathway through which ketone body signals are sensed remains elusive. Concurrently, the mTORC1 pathway is a well-established central hub for sensing nutrients and energy, and whether and how this pathway senses and responds to ketone body signals had not been clearly defined.
The study focuses on uncovering the potential connection mechanism between ketone bodies and the mTORC1 pathway to elucidate the deeper biological principles underlying the anti-cancer effects of a ketogenic diet.
Major Findings:
This study identifies RagC as a novel BHB sensor, expanding the paradigm of mTORC1 nutrient sensing to include metabolite-driven covalent modifications (Kbhb) and highlights RagC-K349bhb as a potential therapeutic target for BHB-based CRC treatment strategies.
Protein & Cell
Experimental study
Not applicable
RagC senses β-hydroxybutyrate abundancy to suppress mTORC1
18-Mar-2026