A recent study published in Nature Medicine presents striking evidence that fasting alone, with no other treatments, blocks the development and progression of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in mice.

Previous research has demonstrated that caloric restriction has a variety of health benefits, but this is the first study to find such a specific effect. The study also identifies how fasting influences the activity a specific protein on cancer cells. Unfortunately, the data may be specific to acute lymphoblastic leukemia, so cutting out food may not be a general means of attacking cancer.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common form of cancer in children, though it does also occur in adults. Good treatments for this disease are available, but they don’t work on all children, and the treatments for adults are not as effective. Over half of adults diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia succumb to the disease within five years of diagnosis, so new treatments would be welcome.