Effects of Essential Amino Acid Intake on Net Protein Synthesis in Weight-losing Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

In this study, we will test the following hypothesis: A high-leucine essential amino acid mixture stimulates whole body protein synthesis (and in this way protein anabolism) to a larger extent than a regular balanced mixture of total (essential and non-essential) amino acids in NSCLC patients with and without recent weight loss. The principal endpoint will be the extent of stimulation of protein synthesis rate as this is the principal mechanism by which either amino acid or protein intake causes muscle anabolism. This project will provide important clinical information, based on novel fundamental basic knowledge on the process and the specific underlying mechanisms of muscle wasting in patients with NSCLC, and the role of EAA as a potential anabolic substrate. In this way, it will provide preliminary data for the development of nutritional strategies that will prevent or even stop this process of ongoing muscle loss in NSCLC.

Inclusion criteria

• Recently diagnosed with Stage III (unresectable) or Stage IV lung cancer (only for the NSCLC group)
• Ability to sign informed consent
• Age 40 years and older

Exclusion criteria

• Previous anti-cancer therapy (e.g. radiotherapy, chemotherapy) or surgery less than 4 weeks prior to the experiment.
• Presence of fever within the last 3 days
• Established diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus
• BMI > 35 kg/m2
• Untreated metabolic diseases including hepatic or renal disorder
• Presence of acute illness or metabolically unstable chronic illness
• Use of long-term oral corticosteroids or short course of oral corticosteroids in the preceding month before enrollment
• Diagnosis of moderate to severe chronic airflow limitation, defined as measured forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) ≤ 70% of referen¬ce FEV1 (only for the healthy control group)
• Use of supplements enriched with amino acids
• Any other condition according to the PI or study physicians would interfere with proper conduct of the study / safety of the patient
• Failure to give informed consent