Acides aminés, protéines et pathologies néoplasiques : peu de données pour une question essentielle

Evidence concerning the importance of the role of the lean body mass is developing. The relation of lean body mass depletion with morbidity is emerging and more particularly with the toxicity of chemotherapy. Although mechanisms of increased proteolysis and the inhibition of muscle protein synthesis begin to be better understood, the data concerning the efficacy of protein and amino acid supplementation in nutritional support remain very fragmented. The presence of cancer modifies the metabolism of certain amino acids, but both experimental and clinical data are very rare so that no general conclusions can be made and no specific recommendations for any particular amino acid exist. Dietary supplementation of branched-chained amino acids represents one of few areas for which some experimental studies and clinical studies were made. Finally, almost no studies analyzed the metabolism of amino acids during cancer treatment.